When it was reported that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) were looking into multiple iGaming operators over suspicions of breaching anti-money laundering and social responsibility obligations, it was only a matter of time before fines were given out, and William Hill is the first scalp to be taken, being fined over £6 million (which could rise, according to reports) for numerous breaches of UKGC regulation. William Hill was said by a UKGC statement to have “failed to mitigate risks and have sufficient numbers of staff to ensure their anti-money-laundering and social responsibility processes were effective”.
What happened?
“Systematic failing” over a period from November 2014 to August 2016 was reported by the UKGC investigation, which included a player who earned £30,000 a year being able to deposit well over £500,000 in a 14-month period with no questions asked, the player was stealing from their employer in order to fund their habit. Tim Miller, UKGC Executive Director said the fine was a message to the whole industry, stating:”you need to take your responsibility seriously, you need to get this right… We are always taking regulatory action and I don’t think this will be the last action we take.”
William Hill’s response
Phillip Bowcock, Chief Executive of William Hill, issued a statement in the wake of the charges, saying:”William Hill has fully co-operated with the Commission throughout this process, introducing new and improved policies and increased levels of resourcing. “We have also committed to an independent process review and will work to implement any recommendations that emerge from that review. “We are fully committed to operating a sustainable business that properly identifies risk and better protects customers. “We will continue to assist the Commission and work with other operators to improve practices in the areas identified.”