Mr Green fined £3m by UK regulator over ‘systematic failings’

Mr Green, an online betting brand owned by William Hill, has copped a £3 million fine from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for its repeated failure to police problem gambling and money laundering among its users.

The commission cited several instances where the online casino and bookmaker neglected to properly investigate dubious evidence of a source of funds when punters deposited large sums of money.

The firm was found to have accepted a decade-old claims payout of £176,000 as sufficient backing for a £1 million deposit, while another punter got the green light for a big transaction after sending in a photo of a computer screen showing a cryptocurrency balance.

UK bookmakers and casino sites are required to verify the source of a client’s funds in order to prevent money laundering and ensure that players are not spending more than they can afford.

In another instance, Mr Green staff failed to run any checks on a customer who won £50,000, lost all of it and then continued to deposit large sums of money.

“Our investigation uncovered systemic failings in respect of both Mr Green’s social responsibility and anti-money laundering controls which affected a significant number of customers across its online casinos,” said Richard Watson, executive director of the Gambling Commission.

“Consumers in Britain have the right to know that there are checks and balances in place which will help keep them safe and ensure gambling is crime-free – and we will continue to crack down on operators who fail in this area.”

This is just the latest chapter in the UKGC’s campaign to improve regulatory standards, player protection and crime prevention within the British gaming and wagering industries.

Since 2018, the regulator has sanctioned nine companies and issued more than £20 million in fines.