Compliance Updates

UKGC: Systemic failings at Caesars Entertainment UK leads to the departure of three senior managers and sanctions of £13m

Published

4 years ago

April 2, 2020

UKGC: Personal licence holders at Caesars Entertainment held to account

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The UK Gambling Commission has announced that Caesars Entertainment UK Limited is to pay £13m and must implement a series of improvements following a catalogue of social responsibility, money laundering and customer interaction failures including those involving ‘VIPs’.

As a result of this investigation three senior managers at the company surrendered their personal licences.

The Regulator’s investigations into Personal Management Licence holders are ongoing.

The land-based gambling business, which operates 11 casinos across Britain, will pay the money following an investigation by the Commission which found serious systematic failings in the way the company took decisions about VIP customers between January 2016 and December 2018.

Social responsibility failings included:

Inadequate interaction with a customer who was known to have previously self-excluded and lost £240,000 over a 13-month period
Inadequate interaction with a customer who lost £323,000 in a 12-month period and had displayed signs of problem gambling which included 30 sessions exceeding five hours
A customer allowed to lose £18,000 in a year despite identifying herself as a self-employed nanny and informing staff that her savings had been spent, and that she was borrowing money from family and using an overdraft facility to fund gambling activities
Inadequate interaction with, and source of funds checks on, a customer who identified as a retired postman and lost £15,000 in 44 days.

Money laundering failings included:

The operator not carrying out adequate source of funds checks on a customer who was allowed to drop around £3.5 million and lose £1.6 million over a period of three months.
The operator not obtaining adequate evidence of source of funds for a politically exposed person (PEP) who lost £795,000 during a 13-month period
The operator not carrying out enhanced customer due diligence (ECDD) checks on a consumer who lost £240,000 over a 13-month period
The operator not carrying out adequate source of funds checks on a customer who identified as a waitress and was allowed to buy-in £87,000 and lose £15,000 during a 12-month period.

Neil McArthur, Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission, said: “We have published this case at this time because it’s vitally important that the lessons are factored into the work the industry is currently doing to address poor practices of VIP management in which we must see rapid progress made.

“The failings in this case are extremely serious. A culture of putting customer safety at the heart of business decisions should be set from the very top of every company and Caesars failed to do this. We will now continue to investigate the individual licence holders involved with the decisions taken in this case.

“In recent times the online sector has received the greatest scrutiny around VIP practices but VIP practices are found right across the industry and our tough approach to compliance and enforcement will continue, whether a business is on the high street or online.

“We are absolutely clear about our expectations of operators – whatever type of gambling they offer they must know their customers. They must interact with them and check what they can afford to gamble with – stepping in when they see signs of harm. Consumer safety is non-negotiable.”

All £13m from this case will be directed towards delivering the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.

The action against Caesars is the latest in a line of tough regulatory action by the Commission.

Since January the Commission has suspended the operating licences of Stakers Limited, Addison Global Limited, and Multi Media International Limited.

So far this year regulatory action has led to the industry paying £27 million in penalty packages. This includes £11.6 million for Betway and £3 million for Mr Green.

Read public statement about Caesars Entertainment here.

Source: UKGC

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Australia

Venues Warned to Play by the Rules on ANZAC Day

Published

16 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Alan Campbell

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Liquor & Gaming NSW is urging licensed venues across the state to plan ahead and have proper measures in place to ensure safe and responsible ANZAC Day commemorations.

Pubs and clubs can face additional challenges on April 25 that come with managing larger than normal crowds and the playing of two-up.

Two-up was a popular game among World War I veterans and, while illegal as an unregulated form of gambling most of the year, is legally played every ANZAC Day, Remembrance Day and Victory in the Pacific Day in their memory.

Liquor & Gaming NSW Executive Director Regulatory Operations, Jane Lin, said inspectors would carry out checks of licensed premises in Sydney and regional areas on ANZAC Day to ensure compliance with the state’s liquor and gaming laws.

“Two-up is a great Australian tradition and a way for people to come together at pubs and clubs to enjoy the ANZAC spirit,” Lin said. “While venues do not need a permit to host two-up, they are encouraged to fully understand and observe the traditional rules of the coin-tossing game.

“Licensed venues are reminded to properly manage potential risks linked to larger crowds, increased rates of intoxication, gambling disputes, extended high volume trading and special ANZAC Day liquor promotions.”

Venues’ advertising and promotions must align with liquor promotion guidelines.

More information about ANZAC Day in New South Wales is available at https:/ /www.NSM.gov. au/about-nsw/anzac-day-nsw. Two-up rules can be found at https:/ /www.LiquorAndGaming.nsw. gov. au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/858562/fs3098-two-up-factsheet. pdf.

Compliance Updates

Boldplay Awarded UKGC Licence

Published

19 hours ago

April 24, 2024

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Boldplay, the renowned provider of premium casino games, has been awarded a remote operating licence from the UK Gambling Commission, to sit alongside their existing licenses in Gibraltar, Malta, Romania, Argentina, and Peru.

This latest development marks a significant step for the company and further solidifies Boldplay’s position as a trusted provider within the iGaming industry. The UKGC licence will allow the company to further expand in regulated territories, a key element of their growth plan, and establish new partnerships within the vibrant UK market.

Having fulfilled the criteria to provide services to UK players Boldplay is well-positioned for success. With a diverse catalogue of over 100 titles, ranging from slots and table games to bingo, keno, and virtual scratch cards, the company is well-known for its innovative features, including their trademark Boldplay Spins.

Speaking of the UK Gambling Commission’s decision to grant the operating licence, Boldplay CEO, Valli Fragoso, said: “We are proud to receive our remote software supplier licence from the UK Gambling Commission. This milestone reflects our commitment to providing high-quality, engaging casino games to licensed operators while upholding responsible gaming standards. We can’t wait for UK players to try our games.”

Asia

Indonesian Govt to Form Task Force to Tackle Online Gambling

Published

2 days ago

April 23, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has chaired a limited meeting which discussed the efforts taken to eradicate online gambling in the country on Thursday 18 April, at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Budi Arie Setiadi, in his press statement after the limited meeting, said that the Government will form a task force to counter online gambling.

“It has been decided that within a week, we will formulate measures to form an integrated task force in order to eradicate online gambling,” Budi said.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology mentioned that forming a cross-ministries/institutions task force is aimed to handle online gambling more thoroughly, collaboratively and efficiently.

“Gambling is an illegal act based on regulations. So, we need to impose measures effectively to settle it,” Budi stated, adding that his ministry will focus on handling online gambling websites and contents, while the law enforcement officers will enforce the law.

“Our authority is only to take down the websites, while the Financial Services Authority (OJK) blocks their financial accounts, and then followed by law enforcement officers, police officers, and the public prosecution service officers,” he remarked.

Similarly, OJK’s Chairperson of Commissioner Board Mahendra Siregar also highlighted the importance of holistic measures in eradicating online gambling in Indonesia.

“Some online gambling activities are not conducted in Indonesia, some are cross-borders, some do not use bank accounts, some needs to be tracked and traced through bank accounts, including transfers and so on. So, the next layers must also be addressed, and that way it leaves no empty rooms,” Mahendra explained.

Mahendra said that according to the institution’s authority, from the end of 2023 to March 2024, OJK has blocked around 5000 bank accounts that indicate its relation to online gambling.

“So far, we have cooperated closely with Communications and Information Technology Ministry. So, if we receive a list of bank accounts suspected to be used or are being used in online gambling activities, we immediately block them, and it has reached up to 5000 bank accounts,” Mahendra mentioned.