Betfred are by far and away the largest independently owned gambling related company in the UK, and the owners of that company, brothers Fred and Peter Done have been in the industry for many decades.
They have built their one-time betting shop operation into a global brand, and now operate online and mobile casino, poker, bingo and betting sites and apps.
However, being shrewd businessmen, they do have many other investments, and one company that they own is called Health Assured.
Health Assured is a company that specializes in the counselling of staff across the public sector who may need help and support with a range of different problems, including social, mental health and any type of addiction problems, too.
However, one Labour MP in the UK, Angela Eagle, has been somewhat upset at discovering Betfred own Heath Assured, and that they have been awarded contracts worth in the region of some £2.5 million by several NHS Trusts and UK local councils.
Her outrage is based on the fact that Betfred are a gambling firm, and therefore in her opinion they should not be in any way be associated with a company that offers counselling services and support, for she sees it as something of a conflict of interest if they help someone who is seeking support with a gambling addiction related problem.
She is, however, taking flack herself, for Health Assured has been awarded those contracts based on the services they offer and the success rate of the people they have helped and supported, and currently she can offer no alternative company that could step into their boots and replace them if the Government decided to pull their contract, which they have no intention of doing.