The Gambling Commission has identified compliance failings at Gamesys during a May 2022 assessment. The resulting £6.0 million fine relates to activity between November 2021 and July 2022. Gamesys, owned by Ballys Corporation, operates 16 UK sites including Ballycasino.co.uk, Doublebubblebingo.com, Jackpotjoy.com, and Megawayscasino.com. As part of the regulatory action, Gamesys will undergo a third-party audit to ensure effective implementation of anti-money laundering (AML) and safer gambling policies.
Kay Roberts, the executive director of operations at the Commission, stated that their focus is on ensuring fair, safe, and crime-free gambling practices. They take regulatory action seriously when failures in policies and procedures are found.
The investigation into Gamesys revealed social responsibility failures, such as not consistently identifying customers at risk of gambling-related harm. The company relied inappropriately on checks indicating bankruptcy or insolvency to determine gambling harm. Additionally, inadequate deposit limits failed to identify risks of harm, as seen in instances where customers lost significant amounts in a short period of time.
Gamesys also failed to consistently interact with customers who may be at risk or experiencing gambling harms. Examples include instances where significant losses occurred over several months without any responsible gambling interaction. The Commission criticized Gamesys for not recording sufficient detail regarding these interactions despite it being specified in the company’s responsible gambling procedures.
In terms of anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, Gamesys failed to conduct necessary AML checks for customers who spent significant sums without triggering thresholds. The company also relied heavily on third-party information or verbal assurances from customers, neglecting adequate customer due diligence. The reinvestment of winnings policy was deemed insufficient to mitigate the risk of illegitimate sources funding deposits.
The Commission determined specific breaches of licence conditions by Gamesys, including those related to the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, measures for operators based in foreign jurisdictions, customer interaction, and commission guidance for remote and non-remote casinos. As a result, the £6.0 million fine was imposed, along with an additional condition to Gamesys’ operating licence in the UK. The Commission acknowledged Gamesys’ cooperation throughout the investigation and stated that no evidence of criminal funds being deposited by the reviewed customers was found.
