Credit check without my permission

ThreeWolves

During a security check at a gambling company (Pokerstars) I received some information via e-mail from them that I believe that they could only have obtained by running a credit check on me. Are they allowed to do this without first getting my permission to do so? Looking around online, I'm not totally convinced that they can. Of course, they can refuse my business for whatever reason they like, but is the credit check that I suspect that they have run legal?

ThreeWolves

I should point out that this is not a company that offers credit, nor would I be seeking it from them if they did.

[Deleted User]

They don't need explicit permission, but they do need a valid reason and justification.

phillw

ThreeWolves said:

During a security check at a gambling company (Pokerstars) I received some information via e-mail from them that I believe that they could only have obtained by running a credit check on me.

Did you agree to them doing a security check? Did it say they would check data held by various companies and agencies?

ThreeWolves

Deleted_User said:

They don't need explicit permission, but they do need a valid reason and justification.

Does this apply to any company or person?

ThreeWolves

phillw said:

ThreeWolves said:

During a security check at a gambling company (Pokerstars) I received some information via e-mail from them that I believe that they could only have obtained by running a credit check on me.

Did you agree to them doing a security check? Did it say they would check data held by various companies and agencies?

No - I logged into my account one day and it said something like "your account is temporarily restricted while we carry out a routine security investigation".

Later that day a message popped up saying that the investigation was complete and the restrictions had been lifted.

However when I attempted to play I got another message saying that my playing privileges had been revoked and that I should e-mail them. I did this and after sometime (weeks if not more) they asked for me to send a bank statement - presumably for some kind of affordability check, but I didn't agree for them to check any other information held by other companies or agencies.

I received an e-mail yesterday saying that my bank statement had cleared their checks, but also asking for some more documents. Also in this e-mail they revealed information of past loans that I had taken out that they can only have known from a credit check, since nothing regarding them was present on my bank statement, and I had not told them about it.

phillw

ThreeWolves said:
Also in this e-mail they revealed information of past loans that I had taken out that they can only have known from a credit check, since nothing regarding them was present on my bank statement, and I had not told them about it.

experian are one of the companies that offer affordability checks for gambling websites, so if they use them then they would have the information without doing "a credit check".
https://www.fintechfutures.com/2019/01/gamblers-win-with-experian-affordability-check/
Does it show up as a credit check on your file? If it doesn't then it wasn't a credit check.
If they said we need to perform an affordability check, please send us your bank statement and you did then that sounds like you agreed to the affordability check. But it depends on what was in the emails really.

ThreeWolves

I didn't agree to an affordability check, I agreed to send them my bank statement

phillw

ThreeWolves said:

I didn't agree to an affordability check, I agreed to send them my bank statement

They are required to perform some form of affordability checks as a condition of their license, so I would expect it to be detailed in the T&C as well. If their communication was unclear then you should ask them to explain where they got the details from and that you didn't agree to it.
Although there doesn't seem to be much difference between them refusing to let you bet because what is on your credit file and them refusing to let you bet because you don't want them to do an affordability check.
If it shows up as an actual credit check on your file then you have more cause for complaint, because that can affect your chance of getting credit in the future. While an experian affordability check won't.

ThreeWolves

Tbf, they haven't refused to let me bet (in the future), at least yet, they just want more documents. I'm more concerned that they may have done a credit check than what they do with my account. I will look into that

ThreeWolves

Out of interest, what can't they get from an affordability check with Experian that they would get with a credit check? Because if it's all the same that seems like a massive loophole.
And just to repeat, the most concerning thing isn't what they do to my account, it's that they can just randomly access my data without asking. I'm off to read their Ts+Cs anyway, back later!