Betting Company Tracking Data Questioned, Charities Also Respond
Concern has been raised over how UK online betting companies track customers and use their data after a case involving an industry giant.
Key Facts:
- One man was sent over 1,300 marketing emails by a betting site
- He requested the data that had been collected on him by Sky Betting & Gaming
- A judge at the high court has ruled the firm did not have proper permission to send the marketing messages
- UK gambling firms may now need to overhaul their strategies
Bonne Terre Ltd, which traded in the UK as Sky Betting & Gaming, has been the subject of a new case that was recently heard in the high court.
A customer requested data relating to him held by the company, and the information was duly filled out in over 2,400 spreadsheets while he was sent thousands of marketing messages.
The man, who lost £46,000 on his account with the company, is seeking compensation for losses and says he has lost 10 years of his life to a gambling addiction.
Mrs Justice Collins Rice ruled that Sky Betting & Gaming sent the man personalised marketing without proper consent while he was a customer between 2017 and 2019.
Frightening Tracking
Charities have responded to the ruling from the high court, although Flutter – which took over the Sky brand in 2020 – disagrees with the judgment and says it is considering an appeal.
Leader of the Coalition to End Gambling Ads, Will Prochaska, said the level of tracking and targeting that is being used by gambling firms is “frightening”.
Speaking to the Observer, Prochaska said that Sky Betting & Gaming’s practices were “indicative of how the sector operates”.
He added: “We’re very concerned because we know this is widespread.”
Gambling with Lives, a UK charity that supports families bereaved by gambling-related deaths, has called for regulatory intervention in the wake of the ruling.
Charles Ritchie from the charity said: “Operators are using data and algorithms to target people with more incentives to gamble when they should be using that data to meaningfully intervene.”
Complying With Data Protection
The Gambling Commission is the UK’s regulatory body for the gambling industry. After the high court ruling, the Gambling Commission issued operators with a reminder of their responsibilities.
A spokesperson said: “Operators can only collect and use data to attract customers in ways that comply with data protection laws, with a focus on preventing gambling harm.”
A statement was also issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
It said: “Uncontrolled tracking intrudes on the most private parts of our lives and can lead to harm. We continue to monitor this area and will not hesitate to intervene when necessary.”
The man at the centre of the ruling against Sky Betting & Gaming is hoping his case leads to more investigations into how the gambling sector targets customers with marketing messages.
