Ex-finance manager stole £340K to fuel gambling addiction while Betfair profited
A former finance manager has admitted stealing £340,000 from his employer, Co-operative Development Services (CDS), to fund a severe gambling addiction. Andrew Morford took the money over five years, diverting funds between 2018 and 2023 to feed his gambling habit. His case has now raised questions about Betfair’s handling of problem gamblers after it emerged the company profited from his losses despite repeated self-exclusion requests. Morford, who worked at CDS, later received a two-year suspended prison sentence, with the judge acknowledging his addiction as a key factor in reducing the penalty. During the same period, Morford lost over £1 million on Betfair’s platform. Despite asking the company to block his account multiple times, he was treated as a VIP customer. Internal records later showed Betfair had flagged his behaviour as only 'low end of medium risk'. Between 2008 and 2024, he repeatedly bypassed self-exclusion measures by opening new accounts under different names. Now that the criminal case has ended, Betfair is reviewing whether to return the profits made from Morford’s losses. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), along with CDS and GamLearn, has demanded the company divest the money. They argue that Betfair’s failure to enforce self-exclusion contributed to the financial harm caused by Morford’s addiction. The case highlights how gambling firms handle vulnerable customers, even when red flags appear. Betfair’s internal review will determine if the profits from Morford’s losses are returned. Meanwhile, CDS and campaign groups continue to push for stricter enforcement of self-exclusion policies.
