UK Gambling Commission Issues £10 Million Penalty to Unibet UK Platinum Gaming

The UK Gambling Commission has imposed a £10 million financial penalty on Platinum Gaming Limited following an investigation that revealed serious breaches of anti-money laundering protocols and social responsibility requirements. The operator, which runs Unibet.co.uk and uk.bingo.com, will also receive an official warning and must undergo a third-party audit to verify the effective implementation of its AML and safer gambling policies.

Social Responsibility Failures

The investigation identified multiple instances where the operator’s customer interaction systems failed to protect consumers at risk of gambling harm:

• A customer interaction system that did not flag a player who lost £5,000 within 24 hours of registration and subsequently lost more than £16,000 in under three months
• Failure to engage with a consumer who lost over £31,000 within nine months, reached their monthly loss limit six times, and displayed markers associated with high-velocity gambling
• No identification of a consumer who exceeded their £2,500 loss limit within 16 minutes of account registration as potentially at risk, with additional failure to detect binge gambling patterns
• Lack of customer interaction during a 23-day period in which a player staked £73,000 and lost £4,100

Anti-Money Laundering Deficiencies

The Commission’s investigation also identified critical gaps in Platinum Gaming’s AML framework:

The operator’s money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment failed to account for customers whose accounts had been previously closed due to money laundering or terrorist funding concerns before 2023. This oversight allowed some individuals with blocked accounts to open new accounts and continue gambling.

The AML policy in place at the time lacked clarity regarding the level of customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence measures required, and how these should be determined based on customer risk profiles.

Despite being included in the operator’s risk assessment, there was no evidence that potential high-risk factors—including high-risk occupations, elevated transaction volumes through deposits and withdrawals, and significant loss levels—were considered during customer reviews.

Repeat Offense

This marks the second time Platinum Gaming has faced enforcement action from the Commission. In 2023, the operator was fined £2.9 million for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.

John Pierce, Commission Director of Enforcement, addressed the severity of the violations:

“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. These included consumers losing thousands within hours or days of registration, repeatedly breaching loss limits, and exhibiting patterns of binge and high-velocity gambling without appropriate intervention.”

Pierce continued:

“Significant anti-money laundering failures were also identified. These included gaps in the licensee’s risk assessment, which failed to account for previously blocked accounts linked to money laundering concerns, and a lack of clarity in the AML policy around due diligence thresholds. Customer reviews did not consistently consider high-risk factors, despite these being outlined in the licensee’s own framework.”

Compliance Requirements

In addition to the financial penalty, Platinum Gaming is required to conduct a follow-up independent audit and internal investigation, with regular updates provided to the Commission. These conditions are designed to drive meaningful organizational change and reinforce accountability.

“Senior leaders must take ownership of compliance outcomes and ensure lessons are embedded across the organisation, supported by structured reporting and board level oversight – and further regulatory activity will remain a possibility,” Pierce stated.

The full penalty details are available on the Gambling Commission’s public register.

Source: UK Gambling Commission