UKGC Fines 3 Operators including Betfred, Betway and GGPoker after discovering social responsibility and AML failures. (Image from Sasun Bughdaryan at Unsplash.com)
In UK news, the UK Gambling Commission has a reputation as one of the strictest gambling regulators worldwide. This regulator always strived to ensure the UK live casino players, video slot and sports bettors receive the protection required. Recently, there is further evidence of this being the case as the regulator has issued fines to three operators in the region that have breached social responsibility and/or anti-money laundering regulations.
Those fines amount to close to £4 million and involve some big brands in the UK iGaming market. Among the platforms discovered to have fallen foul of the rules and regulations set out by the UK Gambling Commission include Betway, Betfred, and GGPoker.
UKGC Fines GGPoker £672,829 for AML and Social Responsibility Failures
Just last week, the UK Gambling Commission announced that it had fined NSUS Limited, £672,829. The regulatory body came to that decision following an investigation that discovered social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures on the firm’s GGPoker platform. On occasions, the popular online poker room had failed to identify players that showed signs they could have a gambling problem. The platform also failed to interact with customers that may be at risk of experiencing gambling harm. Finally, the investigation found that GGPoker had failed to stop marketing material from reaching 125 self-excluded customers.
Betfred and Oddsking Operator Fined £2.87 Million
Unfortunately, the GGPoker penalty is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of recent fines issued by the UK Gambling Commission in recent weeks. The largest of those fell at the feet of Petfre (Gibraltar) Ltd, the operator of one of the UK’s most prominent sports betting platforms. The company behind Betfred and Oddskin was issued a £2.87m fine for similar findings. Petfre (Gibraltar) Ltd also received an official warning from the UK’s gambling regulator.
Failing included a lack of control to prevent new customers from spending large amounts of money. In one incident, an individual was allowed to lose £70k in just 10 hours after opening an account. The UKGC also found that the company had set safer gambling triggers considered too high. For instance, the operator spoke to one customer after they had deposited £20k and lost 20k. However, the next interaction did not come until four months later when the same customer had deposited over £300k and lost 70k. On top of this, it was found that Petfre (Gibraltar) had a string of anti-money laundering failures as well.
Leanne Oxely, who is the UKGC’s Director of Enforcement and Intelligence, made it clear that tougher penalties will come if standards do not improve. She said: “We expect this firm and all others to review this case and make the necessary improvements. Tougher enforcement will follow to those do not”
Betway Fined Over £400,000 For Marketing on Children’s Webpages
Although considered unintentional, Betway also fell afoul of the UKGC’s regulations when it became clear that the gambling firm had advertised its services on web pages aimed at children. Between April 2020 and November 2021, the firm’s logo appeared on children’s pages on West Ham Football Club’s website. In another incident, Betway’s logo was found on the ‘Young Hammers at Home’ webpage.
it is Difficult to Argue Against the UKGC’s Stance
You only have to look at the record £17 million fine imposed on Entain to see that the UK Gambling Commission. The operators above got off lightly in a comparative sense, but will also know that further failings could lead to similar repercussions. The UKGC does not make the UK the easiest iGaming market to operate in, but when it comes to social responsibility and AML failures, you can understand the regulator’s tough stance. At CasinopPlusBonus, we understand the perils that gambling can cause and strongly advise anyone that feels they have a gambling problem, to seek immediate support from organisations such as GamCare and BeGambleAware.
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