LONDON – The U.K. Gambling Commission has imposed a £10 million penalty on Platinum Gaming Limited, operator of unibet.co.uk and uk.bingo.com, following an investigation that uncovered serious anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility failings. The operator has also received a formal warning and must undergo a third-party audit to ensure its policies, procedures, and controls are effectively implemented.
Social Responsibility Failures
- A customer lost £5,000 within 24 hours of registration and more than £16,000 in under three months, yet was not flagged as at risk.
- Another consumer lost £31,000 over nine months, repeatedly hit monthly loss limits, and displayed markers of harm linked to high-velocity gambling, but received no intervention.
- A player exceeded a £2,500 loss limit within 16 minutes of opening an account, with no action taken to identify risk or binge gambling behavior.
- No customer interaction occurred during a 23-day period in which one individual staked £73,000 and lost £4,100.
Anti-Money Laundering Failures
- Risk assessments failed to account for customers whose accounts had previously been closed due to money laundering or terrorist financing concerns, allowing some to re-register and gamble.
- The AML policy lacked clarity on thresholds for customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence, leaving risk-based decisions inconsistent.
- Reviews did not adequately consider high-risk factors such as occupation, transaction volume, or significant losses, despite these being outlined in the operator’s own framework.
Enforcement History
This marks the second enforcement action against Platinum Gaming. In 2023, the operator was fined £2.9 million for similar AML and social responsibility breaches.
Commission Statement
John Pierce, Commission Director of Enforcement, said:
“While industry-wide progress has been made in reducing unchecked high spending, the failings at Platinum Gaming are particularly disappointing. The case revealed serious shortcomings in customer interaction systems, including failures to identify and act on clear markers of harm.”
He added:
“Significant anti-money laundering failures were also identified, including gaps in risk assessments and unclear due diligence thresholds. Alongside the £10 million penalty, the operator must conduct an independent audit and internal investigation, with regular updates to the Commission. These measures are designed to drive meaningful change, reinforce accountability, and embed a culture of compliance.”
Pierce concluded that senior leadership must take ownership of compliance outcomes, ensure lessons are embedded across the organization, and maintain structured reporting with board-level oversight.
