Compliance Updates
UKGC Imposes £1.4M Fine on AG Communications Limited
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has imposed a fine of £1,407,834 on AG Communications Limited for Social Responsibility (SR) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) failures.
The operator, which trades as AspireGlobal and runs 58 websites, will pay the money to socially responsible causes as part of a settlement with the Commission.
Social responsibility failures included:
• not having effective systems in place to prevent customers spending significant amounts of money in a short period of time before an assessment was made as to whether the customer was potentially at risk of gambling related harm. This raised concern that velocity of spend was not identified or acted upon quickly enough
• failing to conduct a safer gambling interaction despite one customer losing £6000 in 48 hours. A telephone interaction was attempted but only when the daily loss limit of £5000 in 24 hours was reached
• one customer was able to deposit and lose £7000 in just over four hours in the early hours. This customer was able to play through the backstop in place at the time due to a system error which failed to prevent the customer from depositing above the backstop limit. A manual review of the customer did not identify the fact they had played through the backstop trigger
• one customer was able to open a significant number of gambling accounts despite the fact they had previously self-excluded.
Anti-money laundering failures included:
• AML/Counter Terrorist Financing (CTF) policies and procedures were too reliant on financial thresholds
• when customers hit a medium, medium/high or high ML risk score they were not subject to a manual Enhanced Customer Due Diligence (ECDD) check until a financial trigger was hit
• when financial thresholds were reached, there were delays in completing ECDD checks. One customer who reached the financial threshold did not have an ECDD review conducted until a week later
• not following its policy regarding ECDD checks. One customer who reached a financial threshold but did not have a high AML risk score, did not have a manual ECDD review until eight days later. This was contrary to AG Communications Limited’s policy.
This is the second time AG Communications Limited is facing regulatory action – in 2022 the operator paid £237,600 for AML failures.
John Pierce, Commission Director of Enforcement, said: “This case marks the second occasion that this operator has been subject to enforcement action. Its failure to uphold anti-money laundering standards, delays in necessary interventions, and deficiencies in social responsibility measures are wholly unacceptable.
“Today’s outcome underscores the gravity of these breaches. It is essential that operators not only implement and maintain robust anti-money laundering policies, procedures, and controls but also act swiftly and decisively in response to any indications of suspicious activity. Effective social responsibility measures must be in place at all times to ensure that consumers identified as at risk receive timely and appropriate intervention.
“This case stands as a clear warning to all operators that repeated regulatory failings will result in increasingly stringent enforcement action.”
The post UKGC Imposes £1.4M Fine on AG Communications Limited appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Global B2B iGaming content provider secures first Canadian market entry following the successful submission and approval of its gaming-related supplier application
Playnetic, the in-demand global B2B iGaming content provider known for its quality games, reliable delivery and outstanding customer service, has announced the approval of its gaming-related supplier application by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
With the AGCO licensing process being recognised in the industry for its rigorous standards and thorough due diligence, the new certification confirms Playnetic was able to meet the high levels of integrity and regulatory compliance needed to legally distribute its content within the province.
As a result of the approval, Playnetic has now secured its first Canadian market entry and will be able to provide its library of innovative games to licensed operators in the Ontario region – with this starting point paving the way for further expansion into other regulated provinces in future.
Given signs of change emerging within the Canadian market and Alberta making progress toward a regulated online model – likely drawing from Ontario’s framework – this license positions Playnetic strongly to expand its footprint in the country and further solidifies the company’s ambitious growth plans.
In the meantime, Playnetic has already begun making groundwork with key operators in the Ontario region and is looking forward to going live with some exciting brands over the coming months. The company will also be attending SBC’s Canadian Gaming Summit from June 17-19, where both existing and new potential partners alike are welcome to stop by and meet the team.
Dan Phillips, Chief Executive Officer at Playnetic, said: “Acquiring AGCO approval for our gaming-related supplier application is undoubtedly a big step for Playnetic. The new license not only secures our first Canadian market entry, but also reaffirms Playnetic’s position as a trusted provider in iGaming and underlines our commitment to compliance and operational excellence.”
Julian Borg-Barthet, Chief Commercial Officer at Playnetic, said: “We’re very excited to now be in a position to offer our library of innovative gaming content in Ontario, and the groundwork to do that with some of the region’s biggest licensed operators is already underway. Over time, we’re confident this license will also help us expand further into current markets and emerging regulated provinces, such as Alberta.”
The post Playnetic granted Ontario supplier license appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Compliance Updates
Vixio Delighted To Be Shortlisted For An ICA Compliance Award for Technology Partner of the Year
Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, has been shortlisted for an International Compliance Association (ICA) Compliance Award for Technology Partner of the Year. The ICA Compliance Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements, collaboration, and innovation of the compliance and financial crime prevention teams across the globe.
Following a thorough judging process, Vixio was shortlisted ahead of the official awards ceremony which will be held on 26th June 2025.
The Technology Partner of the Year category entry detailed the outstanding work of Vixio, showcasing an innovative solution that helps compliance teams cut through the noise to understand the complex, ever-changing regulatory environment to mitigate risk and uncover growth opportunities.
Mike Woolfrey, CEO, Vixio commented, “Vixio has been offering comprehensive, actionable compliance intelligence for over two decades now and we are delighted to be recognised for our RegTech platform, which combines cutting-edge technology with the deep industry knowledge of our experts. We are honoured to be shortlisted for this award and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outstanding Vixio team for their hard work and expertise.”
ICA’s President, Pekka Dare added, “It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Vixio on being shortlisted as a finalist in the category of Technology Partner of the Year. On behalf of ICA, I would like to thank everyone who entered the ICA Compliance Awards personally. All of the entrants represent the very best of what our industry has to offer, and I am looking forward to welcoming all our finalists to the awards ceremony on the 26th June.”
The judging panel was made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the compliance and financial crime prevention community. This includes Lisa Bennett, Legal Compliance Director, Mastercard; Caroline Braddock, Civil Ethics and Compliance Officer, Rolls-Royce; Samer Jannoun, Head of Regional Ethics and Compliance Special Oversight, Meta; Dane Pedro, Presiding Justice and Magistrate, Ministry of Justice, UK; Chris Watkins, Head of Compliance & ESG, Renewable Power Capital; Ben Westwood, Head of Compliance & DPO, Motor Insurers Bureau.
The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster, London on 26 June 2025.
The post Vixio Delighted To Be Shortlisted For An ICA Compliance Award for Technology Partner of the Year appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UK Gambling Commission on 2 April 2025.
This agreement establishes a framework for cooperation and sets out the broad principles of collaboration between the Gambling Regulator and the UK Gambling Commission. The shared aims of both regulators are to enable closer working relationships which will enhance each organisation’s ability to discharge their respective duties and functions.
As well as signing the document, there was a constructive bilateral meeting which discussed areas such as compliance, monitoring and enforcement, alongside other regulatory matters relevant to both jurisdictions.
This is the first of a series of MOUs which the GRAI intends to put in place with other Gambling Regulators across the EU in the months ahead.
CEO of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, Anne Marie Caulfield, said: “This Memorandum of Understand with the UK Gambling Commission is an important step in formalising the working relationship between the two regulators and I would like to thank Andrew Rhodes, and a number of his colleagues across the various areas of the Commission for their advice and support over the past number of months. Ireland and the UK share many of the same operators and gambling practices, so putting this agreement in place will enhance our ability to share information and discharge our respective regulatory responsibilities effectively. Open dialogue and close cooperation between both jurisdictions is paramount and I greatly look forward to continuing this close cooperation’s for the years to come.”
The post GRAI and UK Gambling Commission Sign MoU appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Caesars Entertainment4 days agoCaesars Entertainment Debuts its First Live Dealer Studio Inside One of its Caesars Rewards Destinations
-
Latest News3 days ago
DreamPlay consolidates its status as a global player in the iGaming industry and opens an office and campus in Cyprus
-
Amusnet6 days ago
Amusnet to Participate in the Third Edition of SiGMA Americas
-
Carlos Gomez7 days agoEstadio Gana Launches in Mexico
-
Australia6 days ago
Changes to Tipping Off Offence Came into Effect in Australia
-
Australia6 days ago
Vanguard Overwatch Announces New Partnership Deal with McAtamney & Advisors
-
Latest News6 days ago
BMM INNOVATION GROUP TO SHOWCASE ITS WORLD-LEADING TESTING SERVICES FOR BRAZIL’S FAST-GROWING GAMING MARKET AT BIS SIGMA AMERICAS SUMMIT APRIL 7–10
-
Africa7 days ago
Play’n GO announces landmark South African partnership with Hollywoodbets
