Betfred fined almost £2.9m over gambling safety check failings

Betfred is owned by the billionaire Tory donor brothers Fred and Peter Done, who were paid a £50m dividend last year. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

The bookmaker Betfred has been fined nearly £2.9m for failings in its social responsibility and money-laundering controls, after accepting tens of thousands of pounds from gamblers without performing adequate safety checks.

One customer was allowed to lose £70,000 over a 10-hour period just a day after opening their account, the Gambling Commission said.