Luke Ashton: Betfair criticised by coroner over bettor's death

29 June 2023

ByDan Martin
BBC News

A coroner has found Betfair ought to have done more to assist a gaming addict before he killed himself.

Luke Ashton, 40, from Leicester, passed away in April 2021 after developing big financial obligations wagering online.

An inquest heard he staked larger sums chasing his losses in the weeks before his death.

Coroner Ivan Cartwright said he was concerned Betfair did not meaningfully engage or intervene when Mr Ashton's betting activity increased.

He concluded betting condition was a reason for Mr Ashton's death.

Missed chances

The inquest, at Leicester Town Hall, heard before he died, Mr Ashton had actually been wagering more than 100 times a day, consisting of early in the early morning and late during the night when his wife was asleep.

He positioned 1,229 bets in March 2021 and on one day of that month alone he transferred ₤ 2,500.

Mr Cartwright said: "He was examined as being a low-risk bettor although his activity was more intensive in the 10 weeks prior to his death.

"The operator did not intervene or engage with Mr Ashton in any meaningful way.

"Betfair might have done more in the pertinent duration and needs to have done more in what I discover was a turning point between late January and April 2021.

"Opportunities were missed out on that could possibly have actually changed the result for Luke."

Mr Ashton's body was discovered in a leased flat near Mexborough, South Yorkshire, after his spouse reported him missing and his phone was tracked utilizing an app.

Betfair was contacted us to bet9ja's welcome offer evidence to the inquest as Mr Cartwright looked for to establish whether the firm's actions contributed to Mr Ashton's death.

Lawyers for Mr Ashton's family stated the company should have determined him as an issue gambler and taken "more and more powerful actions" to keep him from damage.

Betfair informed the inquest it used a computer algorithm to monitor client betting and that Mr Ashton was deemed "low threat".

The company said its algorithm found absolutely nothing in his wagering patterns that would set off human intervention that might have limited his gaming.

Instead Mr Ashton was sent out 8 automated and generic "awareness" e-mails by the company.

Tragic result

Mr Cartwright said he was "perplexed" the algorithm did not flag Mr Ashton as a problem bettor.

He said had that took place there were opportunities to get help for Mr Ashton who had had actually confessed his betting problem to his wife in 2019 but later hid the reality he had begun betting again.

Richard Clarke, the managing director of consumer relations for Flutter UKI - Betfair's parent business - gave proof to the hearing and was asked by the the family's legal representatives if he felt the business ought to have done more.

Mr Clarke said: "We have looked extremely carefully at the actions we took and we are positive we fulfilled the regulatory standard at the time.

"As a company, clearly taking a look at the tragic outcome here, I would love to have actually done more."

He stated Betfair had actually presented even more safeguards given that 2021, including deposit limits from customers returning from self-exclusion durations and monetary vulnerability checks, however they can be found in before the yohaig code company was warned of Mr Ashton's death.

Mr Cartwright came to a narrative conclusion that Luke passed away as a result of his own actions.

He stated he would prepare a Prevention of Future Deaths Report with suggestions based upon the "complex and uncommon case".

After the yohaig code hearing, Annie Ashton said: "The coroner's conclusion validates what I have actually constantly thought that gambling caused Luke's death.

"It vindicates what I have actually argued the whole time that betting is devastating, damages households and triggers suicide."

She stated she hoped the inquest's findings would urgently prompt betting companies to better interact with clients.

She said Betfair's evaluation of her husband as "low threat" was not fit for function.

Mrs Ashton explained her spouse as a "brilliant happy and bubbly person" who made pals easily.

"As a partner and a daddy, Luke was nothing short of helpful and happy," she included.

"He was a real rock to all of us however in truth he masked his own pain to safeguard us from what he was going through."

Ian Brown, president of Flutter UKI, stated: "We want to repeat our genuine acknowledgements to Mrs Ashton and her household. We are really sorry for their loss.

"Flutter UKI is committed to doing the right thing and producing an environment for consumers to enjoy our items in a safe and sustainable method.

"Over the past 3 years we have made substantial changes to our controls, consisting of mandatory deposit limitations for clients who return to our sites after a period of self-exclusion.

"We hold ourselves to the absolute greatest requirements in the industry and we will, obviously, include additional learnings from this promotion code awful case into our systems and processes."

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