Ex-finance manager avoids jail after stealing £340k to fuel gambling addiction
Andrew Morford, a former finance manager, has received a two-year suspended prison sentence for stealing £340,000 from his employer. The funds were siphoned off over nearly five years and used to gamble on Betfair. Now, regulators and the victimised company are demanding the betting firm return its profits from his losses.
Between May 2019 and February 2024, Morford took money from Co-operative Development Services (CDS) to feed his gambling habit. Despite his repeated requests to be self-excluded, Betfair treated him as a VIP customer. He received free hospitality and was allowed to lose over £1 million on the platform.
The Gambling Commission has since intervened, ordering Betfair to repay the winnings it made from Morford’s losses. CDS and anti-gambling charity GamLearn have also called for the funds to be returned through divestment. Investigations revealed that Betfair failed to act on multiple red flags, including Morford’s use of different names and repeated reversals of self-exclusion requests. With the criminal case now concluded, Betfair is reviewing whether to return the profits linked to Morford’s gambling.
The case has put pressure on Betfair to refund the money made from Morford’s losses. CDS, the Gambling Commission, and GamLearn are all pushing for the return of the funds. A decision from Betfair is expected as the review continues.
