In an industry beset by scandals and numerous investigations into exploitative practices, it is no surprise that gambling companies have come under further scrutiny: this time, for the way they handle their users’ data and personal information.
It turns out that gambling companies have been secretly sending data collected from visitors to their websites to Meta.
This is a serious breach of data protection laws. And there is something you can do about it.
How have gambling companies compromised their customers’ data?
The protection of personal data is enshrined in UK law – with GDPR stipulating strict protocols for any company’s duty of care for any sensitive details and personal data it holds.
However, in a data-driven world, the financial incentive for companies to harvest and sell their users data to third parties means that there is a lot of unlawful data sharing going on.
It has been revealed that a hidden tracking tool was embedded in UK gambling websites in order to extract visitors’ data – including details of any webpages they viewed and buttons they clicked. As a result, anyone profiled by these sites will be flooded with ads for online casinos and betting sites when on Facebook, Instagram or any other site owned by Meta. The seriousness of this, and the mental health consequences for problem gamblers, cannot be overstated.
Gambling companies have already come under scrutiny for the predatory profiling of problem gamblers: identifying targets for aggressive and highly personalised marketing strategies that pile on the pressure to make more bets. The fact that they also sell the data they hold to other companies without permission only makes in clearer the disregard for the well-being and free will of their customers.
Which gambling companies have breached GDPR?
By law, data should only be used and shared for marketing purposes, with explicit permission obtained from users on the websites in which the tools are embedded. However, the following companies have shared data with third parties without permission:
- Hollywood Bets
- Lottoland
- Ladbrokes
- Tombola
- Sporting Index
- SkyBet
- 10Bet
- Bet 365
- BetVictor
- Bet442
- bwin
There are calls for stricter regulation on the data gambling companies’ hold. But for those who have already had their personal information compromised by these companies, it can feel like too little too late.
But there is something you can do.
Make a claim
People struggling with their gambling habits need far more support. Part of this should be holding gambling companies accountable when they fail to protect, or actively exploit, their customers.
This year we’ve been raising awareness about data breach claims – which can help individuals whose data has not been properly protected to get some redress from the companies that mishandled it.
If you had your data compromised by a gambling company you can make a claim to hold them accountable.
Our recommended provider, Barings Law, is also helping people bring claims for compensation following major data breaches at the gambling companies mentioned above.
Claiming, rather than just complaining or going to court by yourself, will save you time and energy. You should also be protected from legal costs later on – paying a fee only if you are awarded compensation.
Make a Data Breach claim
If you have any thoughts on this topic, or any other consumer issues you would like us to cover, feel free to get in touch with us at support@resolver.co.uk.