Tuesday, 13 August 2019

Jackpotjoy Allowed Customer To Lose Over £600K, New Report Suggests

Jackpotjoy

A new report has suggested that casino operator Jackpotjoy allowed a customer to lose over £600,000.

Jackpotjoy has not denied claims that it allowed one of its customers to lose £633,000 over six years. An anonymous Jackpotjoy customer revealed last night (August 12) in BBC documentary Panorama: Addicted To Gambling that it lost the money and that the firm continually offered them free bets to continue gambling.

The unnamed customer also alleged that the casino operator credited them with a £1,000 cash bonus after they discovered the customer’s father had passed away. They also reportedly called and emailed the customer when they went a day without gambling. Jackpotjoy hasn’t denied crediting the customer these cash bonuses and other rewards.

In a statement issued to Gambling Insider, a Jackpotjoy spokesperson said: “We have informed Panorama we are deeply sympathetic to the unfortunate personal circumstances experienced by the customer during their playing period with us.”

They added: “As a loyal customer, we had frequent and personal engagement with her over the course of six years, which involved advising on and encouraging the use of our responsible gambling tools. We have always acted in accordance with the relevant regulatory requirements, as we understood them to be at the time.”

Speaking about the story, Marc Etches, the CEO of BeGambleAware, said: “Gambling companies have a clear responsibility to make sure their customers are able to gamble in a safe environment, wherever they are. We urge all operators to make people aware of the risks of gambling and clearly signpost to the free help and advice that is available at BeGambleAware.org.”

Betting Complaints On The Rise

The news comes after we revealed that the number of complaints against gambling and betting firms has increased by almost 5,000% over the last five years. In figures obtained by the UK Gambling Commission, BBC Panorama revealed that a total number of 8,266 complaints were made in 2018 compared to the 169 made in 2013.

In addition, Jackpotjoy casino sites Vera & John and InterCasino revealed this month that they were exiting the UK market. Both online casino sites will completely shut to UK customers on September 3rd and are no longer accepting new registrations. Current customers have until September to play through any remaining deposits or promotions.

Meanwhile, the UK Gambling Commission and UK government have been tightening regulations surrounding online gambling. The regulatory body announced new policies that will better protect customers, forcing casino operators to change how they interact with vulnerable customers and improving the funding and needs of users addicted to gambling.

The Commission also announced this month that it would be investigating seven bookmakers’ licenses after they allowed a minor to place a £5 bet on the Royal Ascot. The bookmakers haven’t yet been revealed but the UK Gambling Commission has said they will face regulatory action.