Gibraltar has taken another decisive step in its compliance enforcement efforts, issuing a £45,000 settlement to an unnamed operator after uncovering several responsible gaming and anti-money laundering failings. The regulatory action reflects the jurisdiction’s increasingly firm approach to ensuring operators maintain effective controls and respond promptly to identified risks.
The settlement follows a detailed review by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner, who found shortcomings in the operator’s management of higher-risk customers aged 18 to 24. While the licence holder had made incremental improvements to its policies for this demographic, the regulator concluded that these measures were not sufficiently effective in individual cases. This highlighted ongoing concerns regarding the operator’s operational readiness in applying risk-based protections.
Another significant issue involved an internal error concerning a customer’s revised net deposit limit. After receiving documentation verifying the player’s source of funds and income, the operator should have reduced the deposit limit accordingly. However, the change was never applied, with the operator attributing the lapse to human error. The regulator deemed the oversight indicative of structural weaknesses that required corrective action.
Additionally, the commissioner noted there was no available evidence that a mandated independent audit of the operator’s AML, counter-financing of terrorism, and customer protection frameworks had been completed. The operator has now moved to secure an external review, reinforcing its intention to address the concerns raised.
The enforcement action comes shortly after Gibraltar issued a caution to Kindred’s UK subsidiary, marking the second intervention this month. According to the commissioner, an aggravating factor in the present case was the operator’s slow response to earlier remediation advice, underscoring the importance of immediate and effective follow-through.
The regulator emphasised that threshold-based monitoring must be strengthened with internal triggers capable of detecting emerging high-risk behaviour. The settlement reinforces Gibraltar’s commitment to maintaining a robust, transparent, and accountable regulatory environment.
