Gambling Commission penalises Tabcorp for ‘Piegate’ incident
Regulator says the operator had failed to "manage the risks" associated with novelty bets following last year's stunt by Sun Bets
Tabcorp has been penalised by the UK Gambling Commission after a review of the operator’s licence found its Sun Bets brand’s ‘Piegate’ publicity stunt had failed to “manage the risks” associated with novelty bets.
The regulator today announced Tabcorp would pay an £84,000 penalty package to socially responsible causes following the investigation, with the Commission also adding new conditions to Tabcorp’s UK licence.
The investigation was prompted by last year’s Fifth Round FA Cup tie between Sutton United and Arsenal when Sun Bets took bets on Sutton reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw’s pie-eating stunt.
Sun Bets had offered odds of 8/1 on Shaw eating a pie during the match and the Football Association said it was proved Shaw had intentionally influenced a football betting market.
Shaw was later fined £375 and banned from playing for two months.
In addition to ‘Piegate’, the Commission’s review also found Tabcorp had allowed more than 100 self-excluded customers to open duplicate accounts and gamble.
“Vulnerable customers were able to gamble with Tabcorp UK, despite choosing to self-exclude,” Richard Watson, Gambling Commission programme director, said.
He added: “This is not acceptable. Gambling firms must ensure the systems they have in place are protecting their customers effectively.”
“Novelty betting markets, such as the market Tabcorp UK offered on last year’s FA Cup tie between Sutton United v Arsenal, may seem like a bit of fun but the consequences were serious – with the potential to encourage someone to commit a criminal act or breach a sports governing bodies’ rules.”
The regulator also penalised Tabcorp for offering bets on whether a streaker would run on to the pitch.
“Tabcorp UK accepts that it was inappropriate, and at odds with the licensing objective to keep crime out of gambling, to offer markets on an event which would involve the commission of a criminal offence,” the Commission added.
“It also accepts that the risk of the streaker market inducing or appearing to induce criminal conduct should have been recognised by an internal risk assessment process and, as a result, the market should not have been offered.”
Full details of the investigation can be read via the Gambling Commission website here.
Today’s news comes after the Gambling Commission yesterday announced it had appointed interim boss Neil McArthur as its new permanent CEO with immediate effect.