Gambling Commission Penalizes LeoVegas with £600,000 for Breaching Rules and Accepting Bets from Problem Gambler

One of the most prominent Swedish gaming operators, LeoVegas, has been accused of excessively e-mailing a problem gambler before he spent £20,000 on one of their sister sites. For the time being…

…the brand is under investigation by Britain's leading regulatory body. If the UK Gambling Commission confirms that the operator really behaved unlawfully and violated the rules, they could lose their license to operate in the UK!

£20,000 Gambled Away

According to reports, the problem gambler stole the money from his mother to spend it at LeoVegas gaming venues. He allegedly received four emails a day which encouraged him to keep on placing bets. In addition to this…

…the offers included complimentary spins and various attractive bonuses. This led to him spending £20,000 on one of their sister sites, namely 21.co.uk, which asked for ID verification and suspended his account. Moreover, his account was initially blocked just days after Leo was slapped with a £600,000 fine for accepting wagers from problem gamers.

They are not the only brand receiving penalties lately. The Olympic Casino Group, one of the largest web-based operators in the Baltics was also punished with EUR495,000. The reason for this was a violation of laws regarding money laundering and terrorist financing.

The Rules Are More Than Clear

The Gambling Commission reportedly collected evidence and is now thoroughly examining this case. If it turns out that Leo indeed breached the rules and conditions they are working under, they even risk losing their license to operate in the UK. For a perspective company such as Leo…

…this could lead to losing the trust of a wide audience as well as further penalties. But, it’s just mere speculation until the situation gets its official conclusion. As far as the Commission’s spokesman said:

“We are absolutely clear with operators about the rules that they must follow to prevent and protect their customers from experiencing harm from gambling. Where we see evidence that those rules are not being followed, we will investigate.”

Stricter Rules And Compliances

With web-based entertainment becoming more and more widespread, it’s no wonder that institutions in charge pay closer attention to negative outcomes and problematic conducting of business. This particularly goes for inadequate and excessive advertising as well as encouragement of such behavior. Such strict measures are especially important in situations where a consumer has already experienced problems. In addition to this…

…more and more providers are becoming aware that education on these issues is of vital importance. For that reason, they donate funds and raise awareness of the negative aspects of gambling. With that said, The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB) also puts plenty of effort into brainstorming plans that would cover as many aspects as possible and reduce all potential issues to a reasonable level.

Source:

“Gambling Commission Examines LeoVegas Online Casino”, Niji Narayan, europeangaming.eu, April 16, 2019.