Grandson, 10, spent £3,300 in online gambling spree

A 10-year-old ran up a £3,300 bill on a betting website thinking he was playing a computer game.

The autistic youngster squandered the whopping sum in just 90 minutes, after gaining access to grandad Rick Powell’s online bookmaker’s account.

But the firm involved, gambling giant Bet365, is refusing to refund the four-figure sum.

Now Rick, 68, a retired insurance worker, is calling for tighter controls on gambling websites.

“He most likely thought it was a computer game,” said Rick, from Perth. “We only discovered what had happened when we noticed the huge sum taken from my bank account. I was stunned and had to look twice at the amount.”

In total the youngster who we are not naming lost £3,300. The money came straight out of Mr Powell’s bank account, after the confused youngster notched up a series of losses on horse races.

“My grandson is very bright but like most children with autism he has little concept of reality or the consequences of his actions,” he said. “We have no idea how he managed to hack into my computer and access my account.”

Rick believes there should be safeguards that suspend accounts when suspicious or unusual betting patterns are picked up.

“They should have noticed a shocking spending pattern and stopped it immediately,” he added. “I have never spent this much, ever.”

He is seeking legal advice on whether the multi-national company can keep the lost wagers.

He said: “If a child can’t walk into a betting shop and gamble you have to ask if online bookies can accept them gambling online.”

When he appealed to the UK based Bet365, they refused a refund.

“I have been placing bets with them for more than seven years and thought they would have had more understanding, especially of a child with autism.”

He has now closed his account and given up betting. His MP, Pete Wishart, has also been unable to elicit any refund from the gambling giants.

Responsible gambling group, Campaign for Fairer Gambling, hit out at Bet365’s refusal to give compensation calling them “ludicrous”.

“It is shameful to keep the money a child has spent on gambling,” said spokesman Adrian Parkinson. “Online gambling companies should be able to track spending in the way banks and credit card companies do.

“It is ludicrous not to. If someone goes over their limit or spends huge amounts the company should call them or freeze the account. Gambling companies and parents both have a responsibility but when mistakes like this happen companies should take responsibility.

“We are miles behind countries such as Holland, where restrictions on child access are much tighter. The younger a child starts gambling, the more likely they are to be addicted for life.”

A spokesman for Bet365 said they take “matters like this very seriously” but said the family would not be getting a refund.

“I must stress that it is our final decision,” a spokesman said.

Bet365’s operating profits increased by 81% this year to £213.8m.