The Luke Ashton Case: Gambling Commission Faces Legal Claim
The Gambling Commission, which regulates the betting industry in the UK, is the subject of a legal claim from the widow of a gambling addict.
Luke Ashton owed £18,000 after developing a gambling addiction. © Ezequiel_Octaviano, Pixabay
Key Facts:
- Luke Ashton from Leicester, 40, took his own life in 2021
- The Betfair customer had racked up debts of £18,000
- Gambling Commission’s decision not to take further action against the betting company is being challenged by his wife, Annie Ashton
- A coroner previously expressed concerns over missed opportunities for Betfair to intervene
Luke Ashton, a 40-year-old from Leicester, owed £18,000 when he took his own life in 2021.
At his inquest, coroner Ivan Cartwright expressed concerns that Betfair, the betting site used by Ashton, had missed chances to intervene as his gambling spiralled.
The Gambling Commission has looked into Ashton’s case but opted not to take regulatory action against Betfair, which is part of the gambling giant Flutter.
Ashton’s widow, Annie, has now opted to file a legal claim against the Gambling Commission.
Unacceptable Failure
In the filing, Mrs Ashton described the decision to not take further action against Betfair as “an unacceptable failure to fulfil its regulatory duties”.
She said: “The coroner’s findings were stark – Betfair failed to identify Luke as being at risk, failed to intervene and missed opportunities to save his life.”
“The commission can’t regulate behind closed doors without being publicly accountable for its decisions and its failures to hold the industry to account.”
However, the Gambling Commission rejected this notion in a statement.
The body said: “We vigorously disagree with any claims we have failed to adequately regulate operators or protect people from harm.”
The Gambling Commission confirmed in November following its review of the case that it would not be opting to take any further regulatory action against Betfair.
It said Betfair “had been in special measures because of social responsibility and anti-money laundering issues” at the time of the death of Mr Ashton.
As Betfair had therefore given £635,123 to “charities furthering the national strategy to reduce gambling harms” as a result of those special measures, the Gambling Commission judged that no more punishment was needed.
Player Protections
Flutter, the parent company of Betfair, says it has revamped its controls in recent years.
In a statement, the company said: “We have made a number of improvements to our player protections since early 2021.”
The company said it could make no further comment due to live legal proceedings. Mrs Ashton previously filed a separate legal claim against Flutter over her husband’s case.
Court officials have confirmed to the media that the case filed by Mrs Ashton’s lawyers was at what is referred to as the paper stage. It is yet to be referred to a judge.
At the inquest, the coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report. He warned there will be further gambling-related deaths if drastic measures are not taken.
