The UK Gambling Commission has taken enforcement action against Maple International Ventures Ltd, the operator of Lottomart.com, issuing a financial penalty of £360,000 after identifying serious breaches of anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility requirements.
The action follows a section 116 regulatory review triggered by a compliance assessment in June 2024. The review uncovered multiple weaknesses in the operator’s systems and controls. Notably, risk assessments conducted between June 2023 and July 2024 were found to be inappropriate, omitting crucial risks including those posed by organised crime groups and mule accounts. The Commission also highlighted significant issues with duplicate account detection, with one customer able to evade safeguards by simply altering the order of their names.
The investigation further identified failures in customer interaction processes designed to protect against gambling-related harm. Customers who had not undergone full identity verification were permitted to gamble beyond financial thresholds established for due diligence. Additionally, controls intended to identify risky patterns such as binge gambling, overnight sessions, or rapid high-staking after large wins were found to be inadequate.
John Pierce, Director of Enforcement at the Gambling Commission, emphasised the importance of rigorous compliance frameworks, stating: “The cornerstone of every licensed business must be the proper implementation of effective policies and procedures aimed at making gambling crime free and safer.”
As part of the settlement, Maple International Ventures will divest £50,000, with the full £360,000 directed toward socially responsible purposes. The Commission has urged all licensed operators to review the public statement issued in this case, using it as a benchmark to ensure that their own compliance policies are not only robust on paper but effectively applied in practice.
This enforcement action reaffirms the regulator’s zero-tolerance approach to compliance failures and stands as a warning to the wider iGaming sector.
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