Betfair urged to hand tens of thousands to victim of gambling fraudster

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Rob DaviesJanuary 17, 2026 at 08:00 AM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

Betfair is facing pressure to compensate the victim of Andrew Morford, a gambling addict who defrauded his employer of £340,000 between 2019 and 2024 to fund his betting. Morford lost over £1 million on Betfair's platform and was given VIP status despite previous self-exclusions and internal concerns raised by Betfair staff. He had previously been banned from Betfair but circumvented this by opening accounts under different names, including his father's. Morford's former employer and a campaign group are now urging Betfair to return the money it profited from Morford's fraudulent activity, citing the company's failure to prevent his gambling despite clear warning signs.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Ascot 30% Cheltenham festival ×240% Gordon 40% Judge Silas Reid 50% Flutter Entertainment 60% Betfair ×1090% Andrew Morford ×995%

Keywords

gambling fraud 90% betfair 80% gambling addiction 80% fraudster 70% vip customer 60% stolen money 60% self-exclusion 60% responsible gambling 50% flutter entertainment 50% whale catcher 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Ascot

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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gambling fraud betfair gambling addiction fraudster vip customer stolen money self-exclusion responsible gambling flutter entertainment whale catcher

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