SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has sanctioned the management of Wolverhampton-based ‘Casino 36’ to undertake ‘extra training’ as part of a £300,000 penalty package for money laundering and social responsibility failures.
A UKGC investigation has revealed that Casino 36 had failed to ensure adequate AML provisions with regards to undertaking customer ‘enhanced-due-diligence (EDD)’, ‘source-of-funds (SOF)’ and source-of-wealth (SOW) check carried out for 33 customers.
In relation to social responsibility concerns, the UKGC underlines that Casino 36 management had failed to engage properly with customers who displayed potential signs of problem gambling behaviours. As part of its UKGC settlement, the Black Country casino operator will divest £147,000 and make a further £152,000 payment in lieu of a financial penalty which the Commission would otherwise impose for breaches of the Licence conditions and codes of practice.
Maintaining its UK operations, the UKGC details that Casino 36 management will be sanctioned with further conditions attached to its UK licence.
Richard Watson, Commission Executive Director, said: “As a result of Casino 36’s failings stolen money could have flowed unchecked through their casino and vulnerable customers were placed at risk of harm. This is simply not acceptable.
“Operators have to understand their customer base. This can only be achieved if they know their customers and ask the right questions to meet both their anti-money laundering and social responsibility obligations.”
