UKGC: "Adherence should be at the forefront of every operator’s mind"

UKGC: "Adherence should be at the forefront of every operator’s mind" - Banner
Charlie Vogelsang
by Charlie Vogelsang Last updated:

The annual Compliance and Enforcement Report has been released from the UKGC

Today, the Gambling Commission has published its annual Compliance and Enforcement Report which documents the findings of the regulator's extensive casework against licence holders and it also details where the industry needs to raise standards.

Ultimately, this covers the financial year of 2020 until 2021 which is a period in which the Gambling Commission led to the suspension of five operator licences and revoked the licence for one operator and nine personal management licence holders.

This also saw 15 different gambling businesses pay out a total of £32.1 million as a result of fines or regulatory settlements - which happened to be more than any previous year.

“These regulations are there for two very good reasons,” says GC

“As the Commission’s new Chief Executive, I am impressed by the amount of enforcement work carried out, but it is also disappointing that it should be necessary,” said Gambling Commission Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes. “Looking back at enforcement in 2020/21 we see the same two weaknesses in almost every case – operators failing to adhere to social responsibility and anti-money laundering rules.”

He added: “These regulations are there for two very good reasons – to protect people and ensure that gambling is crime-free. These rules underpin two of the three licensing objectives, without which it would be impossible for us to permit gambling as laid out in the Gambling Act 2005. So, adherence should be at the forefront of every operator’s mind.”

Failings are “simply unacceptable,” says GC

Mr Rhodes added that: “The reasons for these failings are almost as concerning as the failings themselves. Our casework reveals that operators are either not making suitable resources available or are simply putting commercial objectives ahead of regulatory ones.”

“This is simply unacceptable and will be seen as such by others in the industry who work hard to achieve compliance.”

He mentioned that he understood the difficulty of the past 18-months and that “hard decisions were made to save jobs and livelihoods.”

Mr Rhodes concluded by saying that there are still too many breaches of regulations but “the industry has the resources, skills and knowledge to change this.”

At No Wagering, we are dedicated to providing safe and responsible gambling. If you want additional information on responsible gambling, be sure to check out our responsible gambling page.

Charlie Vogelsang
by Charlie Vogelsang Last updated:

Charlie first gained interest in casino games after playing the popular NetEnt slot Dead or Alive II. It was from this moment that she became a passionate player whilst also championing responsible gambling to other keen players. She also loves searching casinos high and low for the best no wagering promotions available!