UKGC Issues Warning Over Operator Compliance

The UK’s gambling commission has announced that operators will receive sanctions if they continuously fail to complete regulatory compliance measures. Casino operators in the UK are required to complete regulatory returns and submit them within a specified time. But so far, there have been a few offending parties.

Since October 2024, for example, about 10 operators have been fined for violating these requirements. This is despite the fact that the commission has given advanced notice and reminders to operators to fulfil this need.

It is worth noting that previously, the commission, via its Licence Conditions Codes of Practice, only required casinos to report annual regulatory returns. Now, they are required to do so every quarter, and not everyone is meeting this requirement.

This also comes at an interesting time as the appetite for online casinos has been bigger than ever. Online casinos offer a myriad of benefits to players, including convenience, a wider selection of games, generous bonuses, and so on. With all of these benefits, it comes as no surprise that online gambling revenue is starting to compete with and even eclipse that of land-based gambling in some countries. With this in mind, many consumers are seeking the best online casino to meet their needs.

Whether consumers are having their needs met by in-person or online establishments in the UK, they’re still required to complete their regulatory returns. As John Pierce, Commission Director of Enforcement, says, more and more of them will face repercussions the longer they violate.

“Operators are expected to understand their reporting obligations and must ensure returns are submitted on time via our online portal. Repeated breaches and persistent non-compliance are likely to result in escalating enforcement action,” he said.

Besides the over 10 companies that were fined since last year, two were also recently fined for failure to implement anti-money laundering (AML) and customer protection measures. The commission has raised the alarm on several new threats to customer safety, including the use of AI deepfakes and crypto crush games.

“The Commission is aware of an increase in the scale and sophistication of attempts to bypass customer due diligence checks using false documentation, deepfake videos and face swaps generated by artificial intelligence,” The statement said, urging casinos to offer staff training on how to spot these deep fakes and stop criminals.

This speaks to not only the changes in the ways that people engage with casinos but also the growing risks. Virtually every statistic shows that the gambling sector is only going to grow in the next few years, and this means not only profits but a greater responsibility for protection. If casinos do not implement these rules, they risk their customers being exposed to harmful content and practices.

This is likely why the commission moved from an annual to a quarterly reporting requirement, and from all indications, it is pursuing this heavily.  Hopefully, all of these efforts from both the UK Gambling Commission and other bodies will yield results that will protect consumers and hold gambling operators to task.