The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is continuing to issue fines. The latest company ordered to make a payment is GGPoker (NSUS Limited) who must pay £672,829 after social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures were discovered.
The failings included sending to 125 customers marketing emails. This was despite the fact they were on the self-exclusion list. Failure to identify customers at risk of gambling harm was also uncovered by the UKGC.
When it came to anti-money laundering failures, this included inadequate risk assessments. This was the case with one business that had been used for money laundering and terrorist financing. There were also incorrect procedures and controls used to prevent such occurrences.
In addition to the fine that has been imposed, GG Poker (NSUS Limited) have also received a warning about their future conduct.
The fine comes quickly on the heels of one of £2.87m imposed on Betfred. That continued the UKGC aim of investigating and sanctioning failures in the areas of social responsibility and anti-money laundering.
Entain were handed the largest fine to date. They had to make a payment of £17m. The UKGC have stressed that “where standards do not improve, tougher enforcement will follow.”
Last month also saw Betway Limited in trouble with the UKGC. They were ordered to pay £408.915 after their marketing information was seen on the children’s pages of the West Ham United FC website. Betway sponsors the Premier League club with their name on the front of their shirts.
Between 14 April 2020 and 6 November 2021, the Betway logo was shown on a children’s page. Those youngsters visiting the page were being given the opportunity to print out an image of a teddy bear that they could then colour in. However, they also saw a logo that was a link to the Betway site.
In addition to this, there was a Betway link on the ‘Young Hammers at Home’ webpage. This was the case between 24 October 2021 and 15 November 2021. These two examples both broke UKGC rules regarding the need for gambling advertisements needing to be socially responsible.
UKGC Director of Enforcement, Leanne Oxley commented that: “Protecting children from gambling harm is at the heart of what we do.” Despite it not appearing that Betway were “deliberately targeting children,” or allowing them to place bets, the UKGC “take the breach of any rules aimed at protecting children extremely seriously.”
The UKGC stressed that companies “take responsibility and have the correct processes in place so that websites directed at children do not include advertisements for gambling.”
