MansionBet Accepted Redundancy Payout Bets, The Guardian Reports

The Guardian published an article on Sunday, reporting on MansionBet accepting part of redundancy payout as deposits from a VIP gambler.

MansionBet Accepted Redundancy Payout from a VIP Gambler

On Sunday, The Guardian reported that MansionBet had accepted a gambler’s redundancy payout as proof that the gambler could afford to place thousands of pounds worth in additional bets. The casino also awarded the individual, identified as Matt, 44, in the article, with additional VIP perks.

Matt showed a redundancy payout from a former employer, reassuring MansionBet that a large amount of the money would be deposited in his account – in exchange for free bets beforehand.

According to evidence reviewed by the newspaper, Matt was offered various free bets and football tickets, which, the newspaper said, led to his gambling behavior “spiraling out of control.”

There have been 26 calls to Matt’s VIP manager, in most of which he asked for additional free bets or cancelled withdrawals. According to the UK Gambling Commission, that behavior constituted problem gambling.

Prior to the redundancy-fueled deposits, the Gambling Commission had said that operators should improve their problem gambling safeguards and be suspicious of anyone depositing any funds from a recent layoff.

“The thing is, we don’t even want to do it but we have to do it because the UK gambling regulators make us do it.”

MansionBet VIP Manager (based on The Guardian reporting)

The Commission refused to comment on the case, but reiterated its stance that the regulator remains committed to eliminating gambling harm and reminding operators to follow suite.

The UKGC also noted that the regulator would be addressing specific failings in VIP practices moving forward.

Did the VIP Manager Fail to Do Their Duties?

According to The Guardian, the MansionBet VIP manager assigned to Matt’s account sought reassurances from the player, phoning him on one occasion when he deposited £8,000 which, the manager noted, constituted a significant amount from the individuals’ yearly salary.

Matt responded that he was employed and that he could afford to place the bets. The VIP manager said in a recording acquired by the media that “The thing is, we don’t even want to do it but we have to do it because the UK gambling regulators make us do it.”

The manager continued by granting Matt a £100 free bet as a thank you for clearing his suspicion up. “I hate to be intrusive, but I will always reward you if you give me proper answers.”

The VIP manager then went on to contact several days after, asking Matt if he could go to online reviewing service Trust Pilot and add a review for MansionBet there. Matt agreed and left a “rave review,” prompting the manager to allocate another free bet to his account.

Based on The Guardian transcripts and the newspaper article, the VIP manager even said that if Matt agreed to deposit a further £3,000, he would grant him additional £500 in free bets.

As the relationship between gambler and bettor developed, the VIP manager said that bigger bonuses were allocated when the bettor lost more.

Matt Speaks Publicly, MansionBet Says Everything in Order

Speaking about the case, Matt was cited by The Guardian saying that MansionBet had known about the fact that he had been made redundant and at the time the company could see his funds deteriorating.

Commenting on the case, Labor MP Carolyn Harris, a critic of the gambling industry, said cited by the newspaper that the practice was “cynical and cruel”.

MansionBet has responded publicly saying that the case was reviewed by senior management and everything was in line with active gambling legislation in the United Kingdom.

The Gambling Commission could consider to completely suspend VIP programs in the United Kingdom moving forward. Other companies have also been criticized over VIP failings and fined heavily.