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Casino Operator Caesars Hit With Record ₤ 13m Penalty

Casino operator Caesars hit with record ₤ 13m penalty

2 April 2020

Casino operator Caesars Entertainment UK has actually been hit with a ₤ 13m charge by the Gambling Commission following a “brochure” of social responsibility and money laundering failures.

The charge is the largest imposed by the commission to date.

The regulator uncovered “severe methodical failings” at Caesars, which operates 11 gambling establishments in the UK.

Caesars said it accepted the settlement and acknowledged it had “fallen short of requirements”.

The Gambling Commission focused on the treatment of “VIP” consumers in between January 2016 and December 2018.

VIP schemes reward individuals who bet large amounts of money. The Gambling Commission stated it has reached an agreement with betting companies to age-restrict VIP incentive schemes to those aged 25 years old and above.

Among the failings the commission exposed, external were:

inadequate interaction with one consumer who lost ₤ 323,000 in a 12-month duration and had shown signs of problem gambling

insufficient interaction with, and source of funds examine, a consumer who identified as a retired postman and lost ₤ 15,000 in 44 days

inadequate source of funds look at a customer who bet ₤ 3.5 m and lost ₤ 1.6 m over a three-month period

In addition to the punitive damages, 3 senior supervisors at Caesars have actually offered up their individual licences.

“The failings in this promotion code case are extremely major,” said the Gambling Commission’s president, Neil McArthur.

“A culture of putting customer safety at the heart of company choices should be set from the really top of every company and Caesars failed to do this promotion code.

“In recent times the online sector has actually received the best examination around VIP practices but VIP practices are right throughout the yohaig code market and our hard method to compliance and enforcement will continue, whether an organization is on the High Street or online.

“We are absolutely clear about our expectations of operators – whatever kind of gambling they provide they should know their clients. They must engage with them and examine what they can manage to bet with – stepping in when they see indications of damage. Consumer safety is non-negotiable.”

Caesars chief regulatory and compliance officer Susan Carletta said: “Caesars Entertainment UK acknowledges disappointing its requirements and accepts the settlement reached with the British Gambling Commission.

“Since discovering, immediately dealing with and reporting deficiencies in 2018, we have improved our compliance policies and treatments, and are abiding by the licence conditions and commission’s guidance for finest practice. We are confident of the efficacy of our compliance initiatives going forward.”

The ₤ 13m charge will go towards moneying the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harm, external.

The Gambling Commission has been stepping up its actions against wagering business and has actually enforced penalties of ₤ 27m in total this year.

The action against Caesars tops the previous record ₤ 11.6 m penalty troubled Betway last month.

Record ₤ 11.6 m charge for gambling firm Betway