UKGC assessment leads to online operator White Hat Gaming's overhaul

A UK Gambling Commission assessment of online gambling business White Hat Gaming has led to the operator overhauling its approach to social responsibility and the prevention of money laundering.

The investigation - part of the regulator’s ongoing compliance work - identified failings in the way White Hat Gaming identified and managed customers who were at higher risk of money laundering and problem gambling.

Inadequate anti-money laundering and social responsibility procedures led to failures including not establishing the source of funds for a customer who lost £70,000 in three months and ineffective interaction with both a second customer who lost £50,000 in just six hours and a third customer who lost £85,000 in just over one hour.

In addition to paying a £1.3m regulatory settlement, White Hat Gaming has committed to an ongoing program of improvements to strengthen its policies and procedures.

These improvements include the automated prevention of more spending once limits are hit, an increase in safer gambling customer interactions, more robust source of funds checks and regular reviews of anti-money laundering controls and processes.

The failures occurred on the operator’s www.grandivy.com, www.21casino.com, www.hellocasino.com and www.dreamvegas.com websites.

"Through our tough compliance and enforcement activity we will continue our work to raise standards in the industry and continue to hold failing operators to account," said Richard Watson, Commission Executive Director.

The operator’s £1.3m payment in lieu of a financial penalty will be directed towards delivering the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.