The UK Gambling Commission has hit Maple International Ventures Limited who operate Lottomart.com after a diligent review which saw substantial weaknesses in its systems. The fine for the operator is £360,000.
The UKGC found various failings: weak risk assessments that ignored threats like mule accounts and organised crime, inadequate customer checks where unverified accounts were allowed to keep gambling above the set financial limits. Customers could even bypass duplicate detection barriers by changing parts of their name. Another of the findings was the weak monitoring of risky patterns such as binges, late night gambling, and increased stakes after large wins.
The GC enforcement director John Pierce that operators must adhere to having strong protocols to protect players as well as preventing crime. He urged other businesses in the industry to review Maple’s public statement and check their own policies.
The settlement was £360,000 which included £50,000 divestment. All the money will go towards socially responsible causes.