Unibet Hit with Hefty Fine for Auto-Exclusion Failures
The French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) has slapped SPS Betting, the owner of the online betting platform Unibet, with a substantial €800,000 fine. The penalty, decided on January 22, 2025, by the ANJ’s sanctions committee, stems from serious malfunctions in Unibet’s self-exclusion system, designed to protect players from excessive gambling.
Faulty Protection Mechanism
Self-exclusion is a critical tool for players seeking to take a break from gambling. It allows them to block access to betting for a chosen period, ranging from 24 hours to 12 months. However, between March 2021 and February 2023, a technical glitch on Unibet prevented thousands of players from properly utilizing this protection.
Specifically, players requesting self-exclusion for several months found their requests converted into days. For instance, a 12-month exclusion was reduced to just 12 days. This flaw, initially fixed in December 2022, resurfaced after an update and persisted until February 2023. In total, the anomaly lasted for nearly 22 months.
SPS Betting has the option to appeal this sanction by filing a recourse with the Council of State within two months.
A Warning Shot for Online Gaming Operators
This decision, unprecedented in its scale, underscores the ANJ’s commitment to ensuring compliance with player protection rules. It sends a clear message to all online gaming operators: any negligence in preventing excessive gambling will be severely punished.
Key Takeaways:
- Unibet fined €800,000 by ANJ.
- Self-exclusion system malfunctioned for 22 months.
- Players’ exclusion requests were incorrectly shortened.
- ANJ emphasizes commitment to player protection.
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