UK Gambling Commission Fines EU Lotto £760,000 Fine for Regulatory Breaches
Lottoland’s operation company, EU Lotto, is on the receiving end of a £760,000 fine imposed by the UK Gambling Commission. The regulator stated the operator breached regulations on anti-money laundering and social responsibility. This was for the period between October 2019 and November 2020.
EU Lotto Fined for Failing to Meet Regulations
The UK Gambling Commission announced it imposed a fine on EU Lotto. This was after it failed to adhere to regulations around anti-money laundering and social responsibility. As a result, the operator will now have to pay £760,000 as a fine. EU Lotto is the company behind Lottoland operating in the UK.
Formal warnings also accompanied the fines for its failures. The regulator said these breaches were for the period between October 2019 and November last year. But the fines and warnings aren’t the only regulatory action slapped on the operator. The gambling commission said EU Lotto will have to present a thorough report from an independent auditor.
Helen Venn spoke on the matter saying the case results from planned compliance activity. The GC executive director further said the regulator will take action should operators fail to adhere to the standards set for the industry.
GC Gives Examples of Social Responsibility and AML Failures
The gambling watchdog went a step further to point out several instances where the operator fell short when it came to anti-money laundering. For instance, the operator didn’t analyze or review bank statements offered by clients as proof of address.
The regulator also found UK Lotto to have failed to restrict player accounts after they were requested to provide proof of their source of funds. Paying with debit cards was another example of failing to apply AML regulations. The GC stated the operator permitted the use of third-party cards with other names different from the customers’ names.
It also provided examples of failures to implement social responsibility regulations. One of these instances was when the operator failed to consider indicators of harm for players who changed their deposit limits frequently.
The regulator also pointed out the operator’s failure to perform elaborate affordability and financial assessments to identify whether a player is already harmed or at risk of harm. Another example provided was limited player interactions. The regulator said the operator contacted customers via email listing various responsible gambling tools. But the email failed to prompt a response from the players.
Lottoland Commits to Maintaining the Highest Possible Compliance Standards
Nigel Birrell said the fine imposed by the GC resulted from legacy issues touching on compliance controls. The Lottoland CEO further emphasized that the issues have been resolved. Furthermore, the operator has comprehensive compliance measures ensuring all standards are met.
The official also said the operator doubled its staff relating to compliance to remedy the issue. It also introduced third-party support to ensure compliance. Birrell concluded by reassuring Lottoland’s commitment to complying with the highest possible standards in the jurisdictions it operates.
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