Online gambling companies fined for repression

Three online casino companies were fined and one of them was prevented from operating in the UK as a result of the crackdown by the sector regulator.

The Gaming Commission fined nearly £ 14 million to three companies for failing to put in place "effective safeguards" to prevent money laundering and damage to customers by the game

Daub Alderney has to pay £ 7.1m, Casumo £ 5.85m and Videoslots £ 1m.

A fourth company, CZ Holdings, has abandoned its license to operate in the UK.

"I hope that today 's announcement will force all online casino operators to be vigilant, as our investigations have revealed that a large number of online casinos are being watched. operators and their managers did not respect their obligations, "said Neil McArthur, chief executive of the Gambling Commission.

"We expect operators to know their customers and ask the right questions to make sure they comply with their obligations to fight money laundering and social responsibility. "

• Review of sports betting on television in progress
• Government returns to slot machines

After an examination which began in February, the Commission found that Videoslots had made initial inquiries into the source of the customers' funds, but did not continue to carry out checks.

In one case, a Videoslots customer failed automatic identity checks and provided a fraudulent driver's license, which was not detected.

The customer has registered several fraudulent credit cards, which have also not been detected. These cards were used to deposit and play with "large quantities".

The customer had deposited £ 17,405 at the time the company's systems reported the account. The Commission stated that these deposits were "suspected of being proceeds of crime".

Videoslots acknowledged that its systems had weaknesses and had taken steps to address these problems, the Commission said.

A review of Casumo's business, which began in January, revealed that the company had failed to properly control its customers and monitor their operations.

His investigation examined the accounts of three clients with potential signs of problem gambling, but did not trigger any action by Casumo.

Since then, the company has taken steps to improve its procedures, the Commission said.

Earlier this month, the Commission announced that it was fining £ 7.1 million to Daub Alderney.

The company's monitoring of customers has also been inadequate, but has since tightened its procedures.