Compliance Updates

UKGC Issues Stricter Consumer Protection Rules for Lockdown

Published

5 years ago

May 13, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published more stringent rules for online operators for protecting customers during lock down. The new set of rules come after new evidence has surfaced that show some gamblers maybe at greater risk of harm during lockdown. The new guidelines deal with the need for affordability checks, prevention of reverse withdrawals and restrictions on bonus offers.

The Commission had collected data through the gambling industry and also through YouGov surveys. The data show that during lockdown gambling participation is down overall. This reflects the closure of land based venues and the cancellation of sporting events, with only a small number of people starting to gamble for the first time.

Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur said: “Operators must use the data they hold to protect their customers and now, more than ever, it’s vital that online operators really know their customers by monitoring how long they are playing for and understanding how financial uncertainty is impacting them and what they can afford to gamble with.  To ensure operators do that, we are strengthening our guidance and expect operators to take account of that to prevent bonus offers or inducements being offered to customers who are showing any sign of harm‘’

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Work was already underway to address many of these issues but this means we will now accelerate this work due to the unique situation that many consumers will find themselves in during lockdown.

‘’We will continue to monitor and publish the data that we are collecting and we will take further measures if required. We are monitoring online operators closely and if we see irresponsible behaviour we will step in immediately, suspending licences if we need to.”

Minister for Sports, Tourism and Heritage Nigel Huddleston said:”It is vital that people are protected from the threat of gambling related harm and I welcome these latest steps from the Gambling Commission.We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will not hesitate to take further action if required.”

The data also shows that in terms of time spent gambling, while overall session length has decreased, there has been an increase in the number of sessions that are played for over an hour.

The Commission has reviewed its current guidance in light of the risks that some players may be experiencing harm while in lockdown, and online operators must now take account of the Commission’s additional guidance, which makes clear they should:

Prevent reverse withdrawal options for customers until further notice
Cease to offer bonuses or promotions to all customers who are displaying indicators of harm
Interact with customers who have been playing for an hour in a single session of play
Review thresholds and triggers for new customers to reflect the operator’s lack of knowledge of that individual’s play and spend patterns
Conduct affordability assessments for individuals picked up by existing or new thresholds and triggers which indicate consumers experiencing harm – limiting or blocking further play until those checks have been concluded and supporting evidence obtained, and;
Implement processes that ensure the continual monitoring of their customer base – identifying patterns of play, spend or behaviours have changed in recent weeks.
Online operators will be expected to make changes to act on this guidance as soon as possible. The Commission will bring forward plans to consult on whether further targeted player protection measures are required on a permanent basis.

Compliance Updates

Vixio Finds Over €36m in AML Fines Issued in Europe in the Last Year

Published

5 hours ago

May 6, 2025

George Miller

vixio-finds-over-e36m-in-aml-fines-issued-in-europe-in-the-last-year

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, ‍is proud to announce its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Outlook, which found that regulators are cracking down on money laundering weaknesses with severe consequences, totaling over €36m in fines from March 2024 to March 2025 in Europe alone.

Vixio’s AML Outlook examines the challenges of complying with AML requirements in jurisdictions around the world, outlines regulators’ efforts to thwart criminal activity, and considers how payments and gambling firms can prevent being caught up in money laundering scandals.

The report found that in the last year, in the European area alone, there have been around 30 enforcement actions from regulators fining payments and e-money firms for falling short in their adherence to AML/CTF rules.

Financial institutions found to have money laundering weaknesses face profound consequences, with prosecutors and regulators alike generally unwilling to be empathetic on this matter. For example:

In March 2025, Germany’s regulator, BaFin, fined Ratepay €25,000 over suspected money laundering.
In February 2025, Estonia’s Money Laundering Data Bureau revoked B2BX Digital Exchange OÜ’s licence for failing to implement proper customer due diligence, transaction monitoring and risk assessments.
The Bank of Lithuania, meanwhile, revoked Foxpay’s licence in November 2024 for systemic AML/CTF and governance failures, including fund mismanagement and conflicts of interest.

John Gidla, Head of Payments Compliance, Vixio, explains, “Although AML compliance involves significant costs for payments firms – including investment in transaction monitoring systems, customer due diligence (CDD) processes and ongoing staff training – the consequences of failure can be significant. In addition to financial penalties, failing to prevent money laundering can severely damage a firm’s reputation, leading to loss of customers, partners and investor confidence. Maintaining a strong compliance framework is crucial for preserving trust and long-term business viability.”

Until now, the EU’s AML enforcement has been more fragmented, but the EU’s new Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA) could be a significant step towards addressing AML enforcement and closing gaps that criminals have been exploiting for years.

Regulatory scrutiny means that firms need to implement know your customer (KYC) procedures, monitor transactions on their systems for suspicious activity and report concerns through suspicious activity reports (SARs) to the relevant authorities.

The post Vixio Finds Over €36m in AML Fines Issued in Europe in the Last Year appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

EGBA boosts regulatory monitoring with compliance workspace Letzz

Published

1 day ago

May 5, 2025

George Miller

egba-boosts-regulatory-monitoring-with-compliance-workspace-letzz

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is pleased to announce a partnership with Letzz, an AI-powered compliance workspace designed for online gambling, to modernise regulatory monitoring and enhance strategic compliance across Europe’s fragmented online gambling landscape.

Through this partnership, EGBA will implement Letzz‘s AI-powered tool to enhance its own regulatory monitoring capabilities. Launching this week, the Letzz platform offers operators real-time, expert-validated insights and automated regulatory news scanning, creating a single, reliable source of information for compliance management.

“We are committed to promoting the highest standards of compliance across Europe’s online gambling sector,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General at EGBA. “With 27 countries in the EU, each with their own gambling laws and a myriad of requirements, accessible tools like Letzz can help both associations like EGBA and operators better understand the complex landscape of regulatory obligations.”

“We founded Letzz with the belief that compliance should be a competitive advantage, not just a necessity,” said Daniel Gambin, Co-Founder and CEO at Letzz. “Our partnership with EGBA allows us to bring this vision to a wider audience of operators who share our commitment to excellence in regulatory compliance. By transforming compliance from a challenge into a strategic business asset, we’re helping operators stay abreast of the latest regulatory changes.”

The collaboration reflects EGBA’s commitment to promoting a well-regulated online gambling market with the highest compliance standards.

Source: egba.eu

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Compliance Updates

BETER joins the Esports Integrity Commission

Published

1 day ago

May 5, 2025

George Miller

beter-joins-the-esports-integrity-commission

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Fast betting content, data and live streaming provider becomes a Tier 1 Anti-Corruption Supporter to the Esports Integrity Commission helping drive match-fixing and fraud out of the industry

BETER, the award-winning provider of fast betting content, data and live streaming for esports and sports, has joined the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) as a Tier 1 Anti-Corruption Supporter.

As a member, BETER will assist the ESIC in identifying and investigating suspicious betting activity while also supporting the Commission’s wider goal of combating match fixing and betting fraud across the esports industry.

BETER is well placed to support the Commission, given its standard-setting approach to ensuring integrity across its fast-betting products and solutions.

As part of its supporter role, BETER will contribute to ESIC’s monitoring and intelligence functions, actively cooperating in the detection and investigation of suspicious betting activity. This includes visibility across its flagship ESportsBattle tournaments, delivering over 36,000 monthly esports events that are thoroughly monitored 24/7 by BETER’s Integrity team. .

The Integrity team ensures that all of BETER’s in-house events are conducted to the highest standards. This is achieved through rigorous e-learning sessions for all athletes participating in its contests, a 24/7 whistleblowing platform, the Integrity BOOTCAMP program, a comprehensive reporting system, partnerships with law enforcement agencies and sporting bodies/federations, and more.

Thanks to this robust integrity ecosystem, only 0.01% of events have been flagged for investigation as suspicious over the past 12 months.

Andrii Nekrutov, Chief Integrity Officer at BETER, said: “BETER’s strict measures and strong commitment to fair play principles in our ESportsBattle tournaments provide us with the qualities needed to be a strong and reliable member of the Esports Integrity Commission.

“We are one of the most experienced esports betting content providers with educational programs and approaches that are unrivalled when it comes to integrity and fairness.

“The team looks forward to working with the Commission to improve the esports ecosystem by eradicating match-fixing and bolstering principles of fair play. We have done a great job of this with our esports tournaments and believe we can help do the same for the wider industry.”

Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer at the Esports Integrity Commission, added: “BETER’s membership to the Esports Integrity Commission is a testament to the company’s alignment with our mission to uphold and promote the highest standards of integrity, transparency and fair play within the global esports ecosystem.

“By becoming a member, BETER joins a growing community of industry leaders dedicated to fostering a safe, transparent and sustainable future of esports.”

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