UKGC Compliance and Enforcement Report
Te UK Gambling Commission has published its annual Compliance and Enforcement Report – showing the casework against licence holders.
UKGC saw a total of £32.1m being paid by 15 gambling businesses in 2021 as a result of fines or regulatory settlements – more than any previous year.
UK LEGISLATION
Te Gambling Commission has published its annual Compliance and Enforcement Report – a document featuring the findings of the regulator’s extensive casework against licence holders and detailing where the industry needs to raise standards.
Tis report covers the financial year 2020 – 2021, a period during which Commission casework led to the suspension of five operator licences and the revocation of licences for one operator and nine personal management licence holders. It also saw a total of £32.1m being paid by 15 gambling businesses as a result of fines or regulatory settlements – more than any previous year.
Gambling Commission Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes said: “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. 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.
“Tese regulations are there for two very good reasons – to protect people and ensure that
gambling is crime-free. Tese 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.” He continued: “Te 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. Tis is simply unacceptable and will be seen as such by others in the industry who work hard to achieve compliance.”
Mr Rhodes added: “Of course, I know that many gambling firms have had a difficult 18 months, and that the future of many companies was unclear. Hard decisions were made to save jobs and livelihoods.
“Whilst the threat of COVID-19 hasn’t gone away, the gambling sector has largely resumed operations. As Great Britain’s regulator for the gambling industry, we still see far too many breaches of regulations where everyone in the industry agrees we should not see them. Te industry has the resources, skills and knowledge to change this.”
Sweden Unibet and SEF in a Unique Collaboration
One thousand active professional football players and their coaches will undertake online training courses in player responsibility and safer gambling. Te training comes as a result of collaboration between Unibet and Swedish Elite Football (SEF) and is a part of the sponsorship agreement for the two Swedish leaugues Allsvenskan and Superettan
As the main partner to Swedish Elite Football (SEF), Unibet (part of Kindred Group) will work together with SEF and the 32 male elite football clubs that are represented in Allsvenskan and Superettan leagues, to educate players and coaches in safer gambling. Te online training will now start after the season has ended and the
Integrity Officer of each club will ensure the training is conducted. Te online training follows on from the match- fixing course that was conducted earlier this Spring. Te work with player responsibility and safer gambling is a major part of Kindred’s sustainability strategy and is a key element of their partnership with Swedish Elite Football (SEF).
“During our partnership with Swedish Elite Football (SEF), we have made several efforts to fight match-fixing and harmful gambling. Tis training is only one example of the work we do with SEF and we will continue our great efforts throughout the contract period,” says Philip Lagström, Country Manager Unibet Sweden.
UK
EAG Expo 2022, which was scheduled to take place on January 11-13, will now take place from March 1-3, 2022 . Te venue remains ExCeL London and the event will feature more than 80 industry exhibitors.
Chairman Martin Burlin announced that following close consultation with bacta, the industry’s leading trade association behind the event, the decision had been made to delay the show in the interests of visitor safety. Martin said, “It is with considerable regret that we have decided to delay EAG Expo but we take seriously our duty of care towards our visitors, and with the current Covid situation we felt this was the only reasonable course of action we could take.”
GERMANY – Germany-based casino operator, Spielbanken Niedersachsen GmbH (SNG), has achieved certification according to the ECA Responsible Gambling Framework following an independent audit conducted by respected auditors Prof. J. Häfeli (Luzern) and Ms. S. Brecht (Stuttgart). Certification of the 10-strong German casino group ensures that SNG is operating in adherence with the latest standards in Responsible Gambling upheld by the licensed land-based casinos industry in Europe.
The ECA Responsible Gaming Framework has been developed with input and leadership from eminent researchers in the field of gambling addiction over several years. The certification according to this standard is exclusive to members of the European Casino Association.
Max Rösle, Managing Director of Spielbanken Niedersachsen, commented: “Responsible Gambling in Germany is an integral part of our day- to-day business as mandated by law. The audit, however, is an opportunity to improve our processes and develop our standards even further. It is in the interest of all members to support responsible gambling and in doing so, strengthen the credibility of the ECA.
FRANCE – French operator Groupe Partouche saw its GGR increase by 7.2 per cent to €133.9m in its fourth quarter compared to the same period a year earlier, mainly driven by the growth of slot machines, which were up 8.6 per cent to €108.6m.
Revenue for traditional games recorded a more moderate increase of 1.7 per cent, reaching € 25.3m due to the decline in the GGR for electronic forms of games. In addition, attendance has remained in decline since the introduction of the health pass last July, it recovered to be down by 9.6 per cent over the quarter and the average spend per head increased significantly from €70 in the fourth quarter of 2020 to €83 up18.4 per cent.
MALTA – Gaming Innovation Group has signed a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire the iGaming company Sportnco Gaming, one of the leading platform providers of turnkey betting and gaming solutions for operators in regulated markets through its inhouse developed sportsbook and PAM.
Combined, GiG and Sportnco will be licensed in 25 markets, currently with around 55 clients, as Sportnco’s geographical presence is highly complementary to GiG’s current offering. Sportnco’s tier 1 sportsbook product is strong, and the acquisition is expected to create attractive commercial, operational, and technological synergies, as well as enable cost savings and accelerated growth.
WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P19
Wire EMEA
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