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UKGC: William Hill Group businesses to pay record £19.2m for failures

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Three gambling businesses owned by William Hill Group will pay a total of £19.2 million for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.

WHG (International) Limited, which runs williamhill. com, will pay £12.5 million, Mr Green Limited, which runs mrgreen. com, will pay £3.7 million and William Hill Organization Limited, which operates 1,344 gambling premises across Britain, will pay £3 million.

Andrew Rhodes, Gambling Commission chief executive, said: “When we launched this investigation the failings we uncovered were so widespread and alarming serious consideration was given to licence suspension.

“However, because the operator immediately recognised their failings and worked with us to swiftly implement improvements, we instead opted for the largest enforcement payment in our history.”

Today’s action comes just a week after the Commission fined two operators owned by Kindred Group plc a combined £7.2 million and is the largest enforcement case taken on by the regulator. The previous largest was £17 million action taken against Entain in August last year.

Since the start of 2022 the Commission has concluded 26 enforcement cases with operators paying over £76 million because of regulatory failures.

Mr Rhodes said: “In the last 15 months we have taken unprecedented action against gambling operators, but we are now starting to see signs of improvement. There are indications that the industry is doing more to make gambling safer and reducing the possibility of criminal funds entering their businesses.

“Operators are using algorithms to spot gambling harms or criminal risk more quickly, interacting with consumers sooner, and generally having more effective policies and procedures in place.”

Social responsibility failures at William Hill businesses include:

    • Having insufficient controls in place to protect new customers, and to effectively consider high velocity spend and duration of play until the customer may have been exposed to the risk of substantial losses in a short period:
      • One customer was allowed to open a new account and spend £23,000 in 20 minutes without any checks.
      • Another customer was allowed to open an account and spend £18,000 in 24 hours without any checks.
      • And a third customer was allowed to open a new account and spend £32,500 over two days without any checks. (Mr Green)
    • Failing to identify certain customers at risk of experiencing gambling related harm and failing to carry out checks at an early stage in the customer’s journey – one customer lost £14,902 in 70 minutes. (Mr Green)
    • Failing to identify risk of harm or intervene with certain customers earlier enough – one customer lost £54,252 in four weeks without the operator seeking income evidence, carrying out adequate checks, or using any other effective method to identify risk of harm. (WHG (International) Limited)
    • Having insufficient controls which exposed new or returning customers to the risk of substantial losses in a short period of time – one customer opened his account and lost £11,400 over the first 30 days without being subject to sufficient checks and another customer did not have a telephone interaction until losses reached £45,800. (WHG (International) Limited)
    • Failing to apply a 24-hour delay between receiving a request for an increase in a credit limit and granting it – one customer was allowed to immediately place a £100,000 bet when his credit limit had been set at £70,000. (WHG (International) Limited)
    • Ineffective controls allowed 331 customers to gamble with WHG (International) Limited despite having self-excluded with Mr Green. (WHG (International) Limited)
    • Failing to identify changes in the customer behaviour which should have provoked consideration of whether the customer was experiencing harm – a safer gambling interaction was conducted only after he had placed and had accepted an £18,000 bet (William Hill Organisation Ltd (WH Retail))
    • Having insufficient controls in place to protect new customers, and to effectively consider high velocity spend and duration of play until the customer may have been exposed to the risk of substantial losses in a short period:
      • After its retail premise re-opened following the Covid pandemic lockdown, the operator allowed one customer to lose £10,600 in two days without a safer gambling interaction.
      • Despite being unknown and staking £42,253 in 130 bets over a three-day period, staff did not identify one customer as being at risk of experiencing harms associated with gambling or undertake any customer interactions. (William Hill Organisation Ltd (WH Retail))

Anti-money laundering (AML) failures include:

  • Allowing customers to deposit large amounts without conducting appropriate checks – one customer was able to spend and lose £70,134 in a month, another to lose £38,000 in five weeks and another to lose £36,000 in four days. (WHG (International) Limited)
  • Allowing customers to deposit large amounts without conducting appropriate checks – one customer deposited £73,535 and lost £14,068 in four months (Mr Green)
  • Customers were able to stake large amounts of money without being monitored or scrutinised to a high enough standard – the operator failed to request Source of Funds (SoF) evidence when one customer staked £19,000 in a single bet, did not obtain documentation from a customer who staked £39,324 and lost £20,360 in 12 days, and did not obtain SoF evidence from a customer who staked £276,942 and lost £24,395 over two months. (William Hill Organisation Ltd (WH Retail))
  • Policies, procedures and controls lacked guidance on appropriate action to take following the results of customer profiling and how its findings should be used to establish the appropriate outcome. (WHG (International) Limited) and (Mr Green)
  • Procedures and controls lacked hard stops to prevent further spend and mitigate against money laundering risks before customer risk profiling is completed. (WHG (International) Limited) and (Mr Green)
  • AML staff training provided insufficient information on risks and how to manage them (WHG (International) Limited) and (Mr Green)

All £19.2 million will be directed towards socially responsible purposes as part of a regulatory settlement.

Additional licence conditions will also be added to ensure a business board member oversees an improvement plan, and that it undergoes a third-party audit to assess that it is effectively implementing its AML and safer gambling policies, procedures and controls.

 

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Internet Vikings and SB Software Partnership Transforms Infrastructure Performance for iGaming Operator Editec

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Internet Vikings, a licensed hosting provider for the European and U.S. iGaming and online sports betting industry, and SB Software a B2B provider of iGaming platforms, share the success of their partnership in transforming performance outcomes for Editec, a multinational gaming operator serving over 20 countries and operating among others such brands as: PremierBetZone, PremierLotoZone, ZoneGold, etc. 

The Challenge: Infrastructure Bottlenecks Threaten Growth 

As Editec was growing dynamically, it required the implementation of the best available server solution. Simply adding storage was inefficient, creating persistent bottlenecks that threatened the operator’s expansion plans and the quality of the user experience.

The Turning Point: Purpose-Built iGaming Infrastructure 

SB Software, Editec’s trusted platform provider, began conversations with Internet Vikings, an established iGaming-focused hosting provider to deliver a comprehensive solution combining advanced platform capabilities with specialized hosting infrastructure to secure platform and operator’s growth. Internet Vikings implemented a VMware vSAN-based cloud solution specifically optimized for high-demand iGaming workloads. The new setup delivers up to 20,000 (input/output operations per second) per virtual machine with average throughput of 600-700 MB/s representing an enormous performance improvement over the previous solution.

“Internet Vikings stood out through their technical transparency, great account management, and understanding of the specific industry needs,” said Kamil Głowacki, CTO at SB Software. “They provided clear performance benchmarks and a detailed roadmap that addressed our client’s exact requirements.” 

Measurable Results Across Multiple Markets 

The partnership has delivered significant improvements across Editec’s operations:

Performance Enhancement: Virtual machines now handle peak loads without degradation, supporting seamless user experiences during high-traffic periods.

Operational Efficiency: Unified back-office management across all 20+ countries, with multi-language and multi-currency support, custom loyalty programs, and specialized odds management.

Scalable Architecture: Infrastructure designed to support continued growth and market expansion without performance compromise.

“SB Software’s flexibility in tailoring solutions to our business requirements has been exceptional,” added the Editec spokesperson. “Combined with Internet Vikings’ hosting expertise, we now have a technology foundation that can scale with the platform and our ambitions.” 

Industry Implications 

The successful partnership demonstrates the value of specialized providers in the iGaming sector, where standard hosting solutions often fall short of industry-specific performance requirements.  “This collaboration shows how purpose-built infrastructure and flexible platform solutions can transform operational outcomes,” said Rickard Vikström, CEO and Founder of Internet Vikings. “When hosting providers truly understand iGaming demands, operators can focus on growth rather than technical limitations.” 

For iGaming operators looking for a powerful and scalable platform supported by a hosting provider that truly feels the industry, the Editec–SB Software–Internet Vikings story shows a clear blueprint of an alliance for success.

The post Internet Vikings and SB Software Partnership Transforms Infrastructure Performance for iGaming Operator Editec appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Аmusnet Enters into Strategic Partnership with efbet

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Amusnet has partnered with efbet Greece to strengthen its presence in the local market and deliver a premium gaming experience to Greek players. The collaboration is now live and brings a wide selection of Amusnet’s top-performing titles to efbet’s platform, marking another important step in the company’s strategic growth across regulated European markets.

This partnership signifies an achievement for Amusnet in Greece, bringing over 100 acclaimed titles including Extra Crown – a royal slot game filled with exciting bonus features, Cocktail Rush – video slot will take you to stunning golden beaches with exotic drinks and fruitful wins, Vegas Roulette 500x – a fast-paced European roulette that combines the classics with the excitement of the dynamic payout experience, Orient Story Deluxe – a video slot offering rewarding features and winning spins, and 40 Power Hot – a royal slot game filled with exciting bonus features to efbet’s platform.

“Partnering with efbet Greece marks a significant step in strengthening our position in the local market. efbet’s established reputation, combined with our comprehensive gaming portfolio, provides a solid foundation for delivering a high-quality, elevated experience to Greek players. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to sustainable growth, operational excellence, and long-term success,” said Jelena Stankovic, Director of Amusnet Greece.

“We are excited to welcome Amusnet to our growing portfolio of gaming providers at efbet.gr. This partnership marks another important step in enhancing our casino offering and delivering even more value to our players in Greece. By integrating Amusnet’s popular titles, we continue to strengthen our position in the market and reaffirm our commitment to quality and entertainment – a move fully aligned with our long-term strategy,” the Senior Management from efbet noted.

This collaboration underscores Amusnet’s commitment to excellence and reflects its ongoing strategy of forging impactful partnerships with top-tier operators in regulated markets, ensuring sustained growth and enhanced player experience.

The post Аmusnet Enters into Strategic Partnership with efbet appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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ZITRO DIGITAL AND TORRERO ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

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Zitro, a global leader in the gaming industry known for its innovative slot and video bingo titles, has officially partnered with Torrero, a rapidly expanding B2B aggregator and white-label platform provider. This collaboration will see Zitro’s celebrated game portfolio integrated into Torrero’s extensive platform, significantly broadening its reach to a diverse international audience.

Torrero’s robust platform features a vast collection of over 9,500 games from 130+ suppliers, alongside a comprehensive sportsbook. The addition of Zitro’s content further strengthens this diverse portfolio, bringing a curated selection of high-performing games designed for today’s online casino landscape. Built on strong engagement mechanics and backed by a proven track record in land-based markets, Zitro’s digital portfolio enhances Torrero’s offering—enabling operators to deliver standout experiences in competitive, regulated environments.

A Powerful Alliance for Global Expansion

José Javier Martí, COO at Zitro Digital, commented on the new alliance: “This partnership with Torrero represents a strategic extension of our digital footprint. Their extensive platform and operator network provide the ideal environment to showcase our innovative titles and deliver proven player engagement. We are confident this collaboration will drive mutual growth, reinforce our presence in key regulated markets, and offer operators enhanced content diversity and performance.”

Torrero offers a complete white-label solution, including integrated payment systems, multilingual customer support, and regulatory compliance, making it a comprehensive partner for online gaming operators.

Elevating Game Selection and Performance

Aleksei Tolstov, Head of Business Development at Torrero, expressed his enthusiasm: “Zitro is a globally recognized gaming powerhouse, and their engaging slot and video bingo titles are a fantastic addition to our platform. Their strong performance in both land-based and digital markets makes them an ideal partner. We are thrilled to welcome Zitro to our network and look forward to a highly successful collaboration, enriching our content offering and delivering exceptional player experiences.”

Zitro’s titles are now live and accessible across Torrero’s network. This partnership underscores both companies’ commitment to innovation, player engagement, and leadership in key evolving markets across Latin America and Europe, serving established operators such as betmaster.com.mx, betmaster.com,  betmaster.ie, casinoin.ie, betmaster.ee, casinoin.ee and betmaster.eu

The post ZITRO DIGITAL AND TORRERO ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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