Description: In the UK, the High Court found that Sky Betting & Gaming unlawfully used automated profiling and targeted direct marketing to pursue a recovering problem gambler from July 28, 2017 onward without valid consent. Sky reportedly treated him as a high-value customer despite addiction indicators.
Editor Notes: Timeline note: The relevant interaction of RTM (the problem gambler in the suit) with Sky Betting & Gaming began in early 2017. Direct marketing to him began on 07/28/2017, according to the judgment (https://awo.cdn.ngo/media/documents/RTM-v-Bonne-Terre-judgment.pdf), and continued through late 2018 and early 2019, when Sky suspended his account for safer-gambling reasons. The High Court ruled for RTM on 01/23/2025, finding the profiling and direct marketing unlawful for lack of valid consent, and Sky's appeal was heard on 03/10/2026–03/11/2026. This incident ID was created 03/21/2026.
Entities
View all entitiesAlleged: Sky Betting & Gaming , Hestview Ltd , Bonne Terre Ltd , Targeted direct marketing system , Sky Betting & Gaming safer-gambling suppression mechanism , Sky Betting & Gaming propensity modeling system , Sky Betting & Gaming personalized direct marketing system , Sky Betting & Gaming customer DNA database , Personalized marketing system , Cookie-based behavioral tracking system and Automated profiling system developed and deployed an AI system, which harmed Sky Betting & Gaming customers with gambling disorders , RTM (recovering problem gambler) , Recovering problem gamblers and People with gambling disorders.
Alleged implicated AI systems: Targeted direct marketing system , Sky Betting & Gaming safer-gambling suppression mechanism , Sky Betting & Gaming propensity modeling system , Sky Betting & Gaming personalized direct marketing system , Sky Betting & Gaming customer DNA database , Personalized marketing system , Cookie-based behavioral tracking system and Automated profiling system
Incident Stats
Incident ID
1428
Report Count
2
Incident Date
2017-07-28
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Incident Reports
Reports Timeline
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The High Court (Collins Rice J) handed down judgment in RTM v Bonne Terre Ltd & Hestview Ltd [2025] EWHC 111 (KB) last week. The case addresses among other things the concept of “consent” in data protection law.
The claim was brought by a r…
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The question
What constitutes valid consent under UK data protection law, particularly in the context of targeted marketing to vulnerable individuals?
The key takeaway
The High Court’s decision emphasises that organisations must take into a…
Variants
A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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