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Compliance Updates

Vivaro Limited agrees Regulatory Settlement with UKGC for AML and Social Responsibility failing

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The UK Gambling Commission has announced that Malta-based Vivaro Limited has agreed to pay £337,631 as a regulatory settlement after a series of shortcomings were identified.

An investigation following a compliance assessment conducted in April 2021 into Vivaro found specific failures in its processes aimed at preventing money laundering and ensuring safer gambling, the Gambling Commission stated in a public statement on January 17, 2023.

Specific failures between October 2020 and June 2021 saw customers deposit ‘significant’ sums of money before KYC checks were carried out, whilst the company’s staff were not sufficiently informed of Source of Funds (SoF) processes. The Commission deemed Vivaro’s AML checks ‘ineffective’ in establishing source of funds as bank statements were not fully scrutinised and a ‘reliance was placed on winnings from other operators.

The UKGC pointed to examples of one customer who deposited £14,850 within two months without SoF being established, and another who showed a bank balance of over £270,000, said to be winnings from other betting accounts.

The UKGC explained that whilst their view was that some checks were conducted, they were not sufficient until the customer had met the Licensees’ ‘very high AML threshold’, and that Vivaro were over reliant on the customer’s net gambling position. In addition, they believed
Vivaro failed to sufficiently consider the risks associated with recycled winnings, in particular, no additional checks were undertaken to confirm the origin of the funds that had been used to gamble. However, the Commission also confirmed that they found no evidence of criminal spend during the compliance assessment.

Lastly, the Commission also criticised Vivaro for failing to ‘sufficiently consider the risks’ associated with crypto currency trading. Crypto currency is considered high risk by Commission Officials and should be subject to further investigation.

The Gambling Commission said all £337,631 settlement, which is in lieu of a penalty package of £302,500, will go to “socially responsible causes”.

When determining the appropriate action to take, the regulator said there were “significant licence condition breaches for a sustained period of time, however, Vivaro was “proactive and timely” in addressing all the issues identified, as well as being “open and transparent from the outset of the investigation and fully co-operative throughout”.

Alongside the settlement, Vivaro has also agreed to undertake a third-party audit within 12 months of the review’s conclusion.

Compliance Updates

Playnetic strengthens European presence with licence to operate in Sweden

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Playnetic strengthens European presence with licence to operate in Sweden
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Playnetic, the new immersive B2B iGaming provider has announced that it has been granted a Swedish licence, following regulatory approval from the Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen. 

The licence allows Playnetic to launch its catalogue of innovative iGaming titles in Sweden, enabling the company to finalise partnerships with prominent operators across the country. 

This significant milestone marks a major step forward in supporting Playnetic’s ambitious growth plans, which include increasing its foothold in other European markets, as well as continued expansion in regulated markets across the globe. 

Dan Phillips, Playnetic CEO said: “Since launching in early 2023, Playnetic has been exploring expansion opportunities in Europe to penetrate new markets and we are thrilled with achieving this milestone.  

“Thanks to our experienced compliance team, we were able to obtain this licence promptly, which is a huge positive as the market entry lines up perfectly with our regulatory roadmap for 2024. We are looking forward to launching our innovative suite of games which feature captivating themes and mechanics to players and operators in Sweden.” 

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Bulgarian President Approves Gambling Law Amendments

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Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has decided not to veto the proposed amendments to the Gambling Law, which include a prohibition on gambling advertisements in the media.

Previously, President Radev had indicated that he was deliberating on the changes to the Gambling Law and was awaiting input from his advisors before making a final decision.

The prohibition on gambling advertisements in the media was approved by a significant majority of deputies during the final session of the 49th National Assembly. Despite objections raised by various media outlets, gambling operators, sports clubs, and other businesses between the readings, the amendments were endorsed. Some stakeholders argued against the ban, suggesting that public discussion should precede its adoption.

The initiative for the amendments originated from GERB and DPS, and it was introduced unexpectedly during the last days of the 49th National Assembly by Yordan Tsonev (DPS) and Temenuzka Petkova (GERB). The bill swiftly progressed through the legislative process, passing its first reading in the budget committee and subsequently receiving approval in the plenary session. An extraordinary meeting of the Committee on Budget and Finance was convened to facilitate the voting on the amendments before the deputies commenced their pre-election recess.

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Compliance Updates

Playson awarded ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification

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Playson, the fast-growing digital entertainment supplier, has been granted an ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate, reinforcing its commitment to implementing robust compliance measures.

Having previously gained an ISO 27001:2013 certificate three years ago, this updated version is key in safeguarding sensitive information and required for Playson to hold its existing licences in valuable regulated markets.

This latest development coincides with Playson’s plans to further extend its outreach across a number of regions over the next 12 months, paving the way for the supplier to enter new jurisdictions in a more streamlined way.

The accreditation was awarded by Quinel and recognises the provider’s adherence in aligning with the standards that the International Organisation for Standardisation sets, demonstrating its ability to mitigate any information security risks whilst meeting all necessary legal and regulatory requirements.

The 2022 version includes updates and revisions to better address contemporary information security risks and challenges, such as those related to cloud computing, remote working, and emerging technologies. It provides organisations with a framework for implementing and managing an effective information security management system (ISMS) to protect their sensitive information assets.

Vsevolod Lapin, Deputy CEO at Playson, said: “The transition to ISO 2022 is welcome news for the business, and shows our continued dedication to compliance and regulation. Partners can rest assured of Playson’s heightened security measures and adherence to international standards with us acquiring this certificate.

“Greece, Ontario and Sweden are vital territories for Playson, with this certification also necessary for the Swiss market, and I expect the ISO 2022 to be required for more jurisdictions in the future, so this recognition has been received at a good time as we look to strengthen our global standing.”

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