A PokerStars customer who had opted out of casino + sportsbook marketing messages has revealed that the Flutter Entertainment-owned brand has potentially breached its licensing conditions with regards to responsible gaming.
Twitter user Dr. K, who is based in Canada, took to Twitter to reveal that PokerStars had sent them a targeted promotional email despite having previously opted out of receiving such marketing materials and complaining to the company of similar breaches of licensing conditions in the past.
This is unacceptably predatory @StarsSupport
. What worth is your “responsible gambling” when people like me opt out of all gaming promos and games and still, after years of complaining to you about this, get gambling promotions?This is life and death for some. @Ont_AGCO pic.twitter.com/y7Ud03vk8W
— Dr. K (@drkamikaze) July 29, 2022
PokerStars is licensed to operate in Ontario through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
Ontario has some of the strictest rules in the world regarding bonuses and promotions. Companies are not allowed to advertise promotions and any customer who wants to view them can only do so through a specific promotions page on the company’s website. Customers can opt in to receive marketing emails and promotions.
However, according to the AGCO’s advertising and marketing regulations, promotional emails such as the one in question are strictly prohibited as they intentionally target a customer who has opted out of promotions or who may be self-excluding from gambling.
As such, PokerStars is potentially in violation of local iGaming laws.
Earlier this year PokerStars owner Flutter Entertainment was fined by the UK Gambling Commission for a similar breach of responsible gaming protocols. Its SkyVegas brand was found to have knowingly emailed promotions to 41,395 self-excluding gamblers and to almost 250k customers who had opted out of receiving marketing emails and messages.
The company’s Australian brand Sportsbet was also in trouble last year for emailing customers who had opted out of marketing promotions. Flutter was fined AU$3.7 million (€2.3 million) for the infraction with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) warning the company about its responsibilities.
Based in London, Natasha is a former sports journalist with experience working for some of the biggest athletes & brands in the world of sports and iGaming.