On January 10th 2024 the UK Gambling Commission released a public statement regarding the latest industry fine for Gamesys.

Gamesys, who operate  ballycasino.co.uk,  jackpotjoy.com, doublebubblebingo.com and a number of white label gambling websites received this fine due to social responsibility and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) failings noted during a Gambling Commission compliance assessment.

Failings as noted by the commission included;

• not always identifying customers at risk of experiencing harms associated with gambling by:

1. placing inappropriate reliance on checks which indicate whether a customer had a historical individual voluntary arrangement or been bankrupt or insolvent as a sign of gambling harm
2. having a system of deposit limits which, for some customers, did not identify risks of harm quickly enough – no risks were identified when one customer deposited £8,255 within three days of opening an account, another lost £5,968 within five weeks of opening account and another lost £17,482 within 34 days of opening an account

• not always interacting with customers who may be at risk of or experiencing harms associated with gambling. Examples include:
• only interacting with one customer once they had lost almost £10,000, and that ‘responsible gambling interaction’ involved the recommendation of new games and promotions
• carrying out only one responsible gambling interaction with a consumer who lost £19,709 over five months
• records of interactions, considerations, and rationale for decisions were not always recorded in sufficient detail, despite this being specified in the Licensee’s responsible gambling procedures.
• in certain circumstances, some customers were able to evade some of the Licensee’s AML triggers/thresholds and go on to spend significant sums without AML checks being conducted – one customer deposited £14,585 in a 28 week period, another deposited £18,884 in just over six months and another deposited £34,280 in five and a half months
• conducting inadequate customer due diligence and being over-reliant on third party information (such as internet research) or the customer’s verbal assurances for a number of customers, including one who deposited over £25,000 in three months, another who deposited over £58,000 in six months, and another who deposited over £65,000 in six months
• having a ‘Reinvestment of winnings policy’ which was insufficient to mitigate the risk that deposited funds could be from illegitimate sources and not just from previous winnings.

The facts noted in this fine largely reflect existing learning from previous UKGC enforcement action. There is a consistent pattern of the Commission drawing attention to lower spending customers than historic actions.

Operators should also be sure to outline in policy how they manage the risks associated with customers withdrawing winnings to then redeposit and gamble with. Once the funds have left the operators wallet, it is important to note how the risks associated with the loss of sight are managed, both for AML and safer gambling purposes.

Remember to contact us if you have any concerns or questions regarding your own safer gambling or AML controls.