Merkur Slots Fined £95,450 for Failing Vulnerable Customer
Merkur Slots UK has been fined nearly £100,000 by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) after a regulatory investigation found staff failed to protect a vulnerable customer.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Wendy Hughes, 64, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer, lost almost £2,000 at a Merkur Slots UK branch in Stockport during two extended gambling sessions in November 2023. The venue, which operates 24 hours a day, allowed Hughes to repeatedly withdraw money from a nearby cash machine as her losses mounted.
Sadly, Jackie Olden, Hughes’s daughter, revealed that her mother, who had developed a gambling addiction while working at a bookmaker, passed away before the UKGC concluded its investigation.
Olden now campaigns for stricter regulations on high street gambling venues known as adult gaming centers (AGCs) and has criticized the penalty imposed on Merkur.
I’m happy they investigated Merkur, but after the devastation caused to our family, the size of this fine doesn’t go far enough. This case emphasises the urgent need for an independent gambling ombudsman so that customers have access to recourse when things go wrong.
Regulator Cites Social Responsibility Failures
Following its inquiry, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission fined Merkur £95,450 for failing to uphold social responsibility standards.
This was a clear-cut case of an operator failing to follow the rules aimed at keeping consumers safe from harm. In recent years, there have been a number of cases of online gambling businesses failing to meet their social responsibility obligations – but this investigation shows that land-based operators also need to make sure they are minimising the risk to customers experiencing harms associated with gambling. All operators should make sure that not only do they have policies and procedures aimed at preventing harm in place but also that staff are effectively trained to follow and implement them.
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Staff Failed to Act on Warning Signs
Regulators found that Merkur staff were aware Hughes was withdrawing more money to continue gambling but did not intervene. Internal records show that employees even placed a “hold card” on her preferred machine, which some say is a tactic that abuses the gambler’s misconception that a losing streak will soon turn into a win.
Despite multiple warning signs, staff failed to check whether Hughes was in control of her gambling. Although Merkur had social responsibility protocols in place, its employees did not adhere to them, the Gambling Commission said.
The company has since cooperated with the investigation and taken steps to improve customer safety measures.
With over 230 AGCs across the UK, Merkur is one of the biggest players in the gambling sector that generates £11 billion annually. However, cases like this have intensified calls for stronger oversight of the industry.
RELATED TOPICS: Regulation
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