BetBright closes after 888 acquisition

On March 4th it was announced that gambling giants 888 acquired the sports betting platform BetBright for £15m. 

The deal is part of 888’s strategy to enhance its "long-term prospects in the global sports betting market" and complete its ownership over technology across bingo, casino, poker and sport. 

This is the third acquisition 888 has made in recent months.

BetBright's Dublin office will be integrated into the 888 group, and on March 5th, BetBright ceased all trading permanently and declared all ante-post bets void. This has disappointed and frustrated many customers as the closure comes just a week before the Cheltenham Festival – one of the biggest racing events of the year.

A post on the site reads: 

"As of Tuesday 5th March 2019, Dedsert (Ireland) Limited, trading as BetBright has ceased offering gambling services to its customers permanently. 

Customers will be able to access their accounts for 30 days, in which we advise customers to withdraw the full balance from their account. 

For more information about your account and any unsettled bets, please view our FAQ section here."

The FAQ explains the implications in more detail; however, it appears that BetBright is making every effort to return any remaining balance to customers. Including self-excluded players who can’t access the site. However, this is unlikely to satisfy customers with unsettled bets. 

According to a Gambling Commission spokesperson: "We have received a number of complaints about this matter and are making further inquiries."