The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has hit online operators 32Red Limited and Platinum Gaming Limited, both part of Kindred Group plc, with a £7.1m penalty due to social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.
32Red Limited, which runs 32red.com, will pay £4,195,655 whilst Platinum Gaming Limited, which runs unibet.co.uk, will pay £2,937,599.
Both have also received an official warning following the Commission investigation.
Kay Roberts, Executive Director of the Gambling Commission, said: “These failures highlight clearly that both operators failed to interact with customers in a way which minimises the risk of them experiencing harms associated with gambling.
“Our investigations also showed that policies and procedures were overlooked, both around customer accounts and anti-money laundering practices.
“Ultimately, it is an example which all gambling operators should take notice of to ensure they protect their customers at all times.”
32Red failed to enforce responsible gambling measures and so did not identify and protect problem gamblers.
This includes one customer who deposited £43,000 and lost £36,000 within a week.
32Red would often take the customer’s word that they could afford their level of gambling without any further checks.
In regards to anti-money laundering, 32Red also failed to implement the necessary measures required by the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer Regulations 2017).
The investigation found that Platinum Games allowed self-excluded or blocked customers to evade the ban by making a separate account.
The operator also failed to interact with customers who were struggling with problem gambling.
