The UK Gambling Commission Continues Its Online Gambling Crackdown

The organisation, which regulates both real-life and online casinos, has always been known for being somewhat stricter than other regulatory bodies. However, in recent months it seems as though the Commission has doubled its efforts in its online casino regulation.

This month, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced it was revoking MaxEnt Limited's gambling license over concerns regarding the operator's finances and information it provided the organisation following a change in ownership.

Since MaxEnt Limited's license doesn't expire until June 18th, the operator has been given time to repeal the decision, which it has announced it will do. Responding to the decision to revoke its license, MaxEnt Limited said the Commission's decision was "not sufficiently objective".

The operator expressed disappointment over the news and claimed that the Commission's decision wasn't connected to how the business was run or how its customers are treated but rather on issues regarding the "availability of documentary evidence from two years ago".

Revoking Licenses and Fining Operators

However, this wasn't the first time the Commission penalised an operator this year. In May, the Commission fined four leading gambling operators over failings regarding anti-money laundering.

According to reports, InTouch Games was fined £2.2 million for failing to meet anti-money laundering customer risk assessments. Betit Operations was fined £1.4 million and MT SecureTrade fined £700,000 for similar reasons. Meanwhile, BestBet was fined over £230,000 over "weaknesses" in its management of customers regarding anti-money laundering.

The fines come just weeks after the UK Gambling Commission launched new age and identification checks. The new rules required operators to immediately verify the age and identify new users. Previously, the Commission gave operators 72 hours to verify a users age and gave operators time to verify a customer's identity until their first withdrawal.

Similarly, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has been punishing online casinos for misleading advertisements. Just last month, a William Hill advertisement was banned for linking sexual success to gambling. Around the same time, a Paddy Power Betfair television advert featuring Rhodri Giggs that promoted the firm's new rewards program was banned for "glamorising gambling".

The stricter regulations and rules mean online casinos need to be more careful than ever when it comes to protecting customers, working against money laundering and advertising their sites or new promotions. This is why it's important to make sure you register at one of the top online casinos in the UK which tend to be much more transparent and fully compliant with all rules and regulations in Great Britain.

Online casinos which focus on protecting customers and pride themselves on their transparency and fairness are less likely to find themselves penalised by the UK Gambling Commission or Advertising Standards Authority. But as the Commission tightens its rules, that all might change.