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Playtech Takes Full Responsibility for PTES Regulatory Breaches

  • Playtech acknowledges the failings of subsidiary PTES which contributed to a customer taking his own life in 2017
  • The company will donate a total of ￡3.5m to charities that focus on reducing gambling harm
  • PTES has been brought under Playtech’s compliance function to improve oversight
  • Playtech has pledged ￡5m to promote healthy online living including focusing on mental health and how it is connected to online gambling
Sadonna Price

Playtech logo on a smartphone with UK flag in background
Playtech has taken responsibility for regulatory breaches committed by subsidiary PTES which contributed to a customer’s death by suicide. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Parent company issues an apology

Gaming solutions provider Playtech provided an apology for the failings of its subsidiary, PT Entertainment Services (PTES), which led to a customer taking his own life. The company acknowledged the failings and took full responsibility, stating the PTES regulatory breaches found by regulators do not reflect its high standards nor the high standards Playtech provides B2B partners.

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) uncovered widespread failings during an investigation of PTES. The gambling operator took no action when a customer signed up for a new account in December 2016 and spent ￡4.5m ($5.5m) on the PTES Winner and Titanbet brands. The customer died by suicide in April 2017.

Playtech increasing donations to ￡3.5m

Playtech has plans to add to the ￡619,395?($760,312.74) donation by PTES to charities that focus on reducing gambling harm. The total amount will be ￡3.5m ($4.3m), which matches the sum the Gambling Commission was going to fine PTES had the company not surrendered its operating license.

we want to send a message to them and the wider industry of who we are today and aspire to be”

Playtech’s interim chairman Claire Milne stated that the company felt it was only right to recognize the historic failings by donating more than PTES had already contributed. In an apology to stakeholders, Milne said that the failings of PTES do not represent the Playtech they have come to know.

“Through this action, we want to send a message to them and the wider industry of who we are today and aspire to be,” she said.

Decisive action

The Playtech board extended its deepest sympathies to the family of the victim, Chris Bruney. Milne, who was in charge of a review of the company’s response to the case, will contact the family and apologize personally.

According to Milne, Playtech took decisive action to address PTES’s failings before the British B2C licenses were surrendered. Management and personal management license holders left the business. PTES was brought under Playtech’s compliance function to improve oversight.

The 18-month-long investigation following the death of a the 25-year-old Bruney led the UKGC to find anti-money laundering and social responsibility process failings by PTES. Just five days before Chris Bruney took his own life, he lost ￡119,000 ($146,314) playing at winner.co.uk. A VIP manager offered Bruney free bets and cash bonuses without completing proof of income checks.

Changes due to PTES regulatory breaches

Playtech has allotted a total of ￡5m ($6.1m) to advocate “healthy online living” as well as the connection between mental health and online gambling. The company says it has developed safer products, player engagement tools, and analytics solutions.

Playtech aims to break down barriers to adopting technology for safer gambling.

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