UK regulator ICO has “reprimanded” Sky Betting & Gaming for unlawfully sharing subscribers’ details with advertising firms. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Unlawful data sharing

The data protection arm of the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has “reprimanded” Flutter-owned Sky Betting & Gaming for unlawfully sharing subscribers’ details with advertising firms.

complaint by pressure group

According to The Guardian on Tuesday, the telling off by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) came after the regulator investigated Flutter’s Sky Betting & Gaming holding brand Bonne Terre Ltd after a complaint by pressure group Clean Up Gambling.

The not-for-profit body alleged the Flutter iGaming subsidiary, whose brands include Sky Bet, Sky Vegas, Sky Bingo, Sky Casino and Sky Poker, was “misusing its customers’ personal data to target vulnerable gamblers.”

Upon investigation, the ICO said it found zero evidence Sky’s intention was to target at-risk gamblers. 

Fortunate finding

A Sky Betting & Gaming spokesperson stated the iGaming firm “welcomed” the all-clear on the vulnerable gambling accusation after the ICO’s “exhaustive 18-month investigation.”

What the probe uncovered, however, was that the Flutter firm had, without customers’ consent, processed their data via advertising cookies over a seven-week period in early 2023. Sky then immediately passed customers’ data onto advertising tech firms before it gave customers the option to accept or decline cookies.

In a statement, ICO Deputy Commissioner Stephen Bonner said seemingly tailored ads, such as a commercial for sneakers popping up after joining a gym online, were commonplace. Bonner added, however, that while some people may be happy to consent to these ads, others might not appreciate them when they impinge on the more “sensitive aspects of our digital activity.”

personal information being shared with advertisers”

“For example, if you are visiting a gambling website or looking up concerning health symptoms, you may want to prevent this personal information being shared with advertisers.”

The spokesperson for Flutter’s UK iGaming brand blamed the breach on an “accidental technical error.” The exec added Sky “rectified this error within a day of becoming aware of it.”

Dealing with the past

Clean Up Gambling first leveled the claim against Sky Bet’s “invasive” online data retrieval processes that involved “widespread illegality” back in August 2022.

The non-profit is led by Matt Zarb-Cousin, co-founder of anti-gambling software company Gamban.

The probe may have brought back bad memories for Flutter of a Sky Vegas free spins promo sent to vulnerable customers in 2021, for which the UKGC fined it £1.17m ($2.24m).