SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
LEBOM’s licence suspension has been lifted by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) just under a week after the initial decision.
In an update to the Commission’s original announcement on its website, the regulator explained that the licence suspension was brought to an end following ‘remedial action’ by LEBOM.
A football predictions app, LEBOM was suspended by the UKGC for failing to integrate GAMSTOP into its systems, a requirement of Britain’s licensing framework.
Providing customers access to the GAMSTOP self-exclusion scheme has been a mandatory condition enforced by the UKGC since 2020.
Commenting at the time, Kay Roberts, Commission Executive Director of Operations, said: “GAMSTOP provides a crucial service for people who feel they are suffering gambling harm.
“It is simply unacceptable for any online operator to fail to integrate with the scheme.”
The Commission has not commented on whether or not it would continue with its review of LEBOM’s licence under the 2005 Gambling Act – the regulator stated on Friday that this would be one of its tasks moving forward.
Such a review would involve an investigation into any potential licence-breaching activities by LEBOM, and could conclude with the regulator determining if the licensee is suitable to continue operating.
Although brief, LEBOM’s licence suspension is indicative of an increasingly vigilant Gambling Commission, which is enforcing stricter decisions in the lead up to the possible publication of the Gambling Act review White Paper. 
In a speech at the start of the year, UKGC Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes stated that the regulator ‘would no longer tolerate repeat offenders’ regarding social responsibility and anti-money laundering standards.
A range of financial penalties have been handed out over the past year, such as GGPoker UK (£672,000), 888 Holdings (£9.4m), Sky Bet (£1m), Smarkets (£630k), and Entain, which was hit with a UK record £17m charge.
