By Charlotte Webster-
A suicidal gambling addict who lost £125,000 with the online casinos LeoVegas and Casumo has accused them of turning a blind eye to her addiction and offering her bonuses to keep betting.
The 42 year old former accountant, going by the name of Katie, is currently in receipt of addiction treatment after incurring heavy debts on nine credit cards. Her story was broadcast on BBC Radio 4, which revealed the extent of exploitation she was subjected to in sheer violation of rules imposed by the UK Gambling Commission. One of her losses of £54,000 occurred during an overnight spree when she was allowed to place bets of more than £380,000 on one website in a single session.
Rather than abide by stipulated requirements to stop her betting, she was ridiculously made a ‘VIP customer’ and given free spins on games Casumo. She was further offered tickets to Wembley events in the face of her problematic gambling addiction by a Malta-based online betting company. She went from betting £100 in June 2017 to around £5000 just months later.
The former accountant made dozens of these huge wagers throughout October 9th that year, and instead of being stopped, she was rewarded with three bonus offers. Her account was eventually suspended after she wasted another £7000 when she told a customer adviser she felt ‘suicidal’.
The company emailed her saying that they only ‘look at accounts holistically’ and did not consider what were described as ‘red flags’. Katie, a former accountant, relapsed again in December 2017, and was giving a VIP status as she bet with multiple credit cards with Swedish company LeoVegas.
The Guardian reports that her case is currently the subject of an inquiry by The Gambling Commission. The publication also revealed that her VIP status came despite 291 failed deposit attempts and the cancellation of withdrawals worth £27,550.
In a 24-hour spree she squandered £53,985 on a LeoVegas slot machine game. She placed £382,844 worth of bets.