Friday, 8 March 2019

BetBright Ceases Operations Permanently Following 888 Takeover

BetBright Home

Irish bookmakers BetBright has announced it will cease operations following its takeover.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that 888 Holdings had acquired the Irish betting firm for £15 million. Under the deal, 888 Holdings will acquire the firm’s sportsbook as well as other technology and platforms.

Meanwhile, in a statement on the bookmaker’s website, BetBright announced on Wednesday (March 6) that it will cease its gambling operations permanently and informed customers that they will still have access to their BetBright accounts for 30 days, allowing them to withdraw funds and winnings made on the website.

The announcement included a link to an FAQ which stated that all single bets due to be settled after March 5th will be voided. The news was met by outrage from BetBright’s customers and soon after, 888 Holdings announced that any wagers on the Cheltenham Festival, which is due to take place March 12th and 15th, will be honoured.

In a statement, an 888 Holdings spokesperson said: “As a gesture of goodwill, 888 will be honouring and paying out on all winning Cheltenham Festival bets which were placed through BetBright’s sportsbook.”

It’s also been reported that 888 Holdings is having problems onboarding BrightBet’s players onto its own platform, though the two firms are reportedly having discussions to resolve the issue.

The Gambling Commission Investigation

Following news that BetBright had ceased advertising and after a string of complaints from customers of the Irish betting site, the UK Gambling Commission announced that it will be investigating the firms.

A spokesperson for the UK Gambling Commission said: “We have received a number of complaints about this matter and are making further enquiries.”

As the UK Gambling Commission launches its investigation, BetBright investors have been asked to withdraw all investments within the next 30 days and the sponsorship deal between the Irish bookmakers and Nottingham Forest Football Club is reportedly being discussed by representatives.