Hot Features
Premium
Trade like a pro: Leverage real-time discussions and market-moving ideas to outperform.
AG Communications, a subsidiary of Aspire Global, was hit with a £1.4 million penalty for failing to meet key regulatory requirements. The fine, which was imposed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), follows a series of social responsibility (SR) and anti-money laundering (AML) breaches recorded between May 2023 and October 2024.
Aspire Global operates 58 gambling websites in the UK, including well-known brands such as Mrluck, Greenplay, TangoBet and CasinoLuck. The penalty comes in the wake of a major acquisition, as Aristocrat finalised its $1.2 billion purchase of Aspire Global’s parent company, NeoGames, in April 2024. Despite this corporate transition, the UKGC has made it clear that regulatory compliance remains a priority.
Industry experts have weighed in on the settlement, highlighting its broader implications for the UK gambling sector. A spokesperson from BonusBandits, a leading affiliate marketing brand in online gambling, noted that,
“Aspire Global’s case underscores the increasing scrutiny on operators failing to meet social responsibility and AML standards. The UKGC’s decisive action sends a strong message that repeated non-compliance will not be tolerated. Interestingly, this is not the first time this operator has faced regulatory action, having previously paid £237,600 for similar breaches in 2022. Given its repeated failures and its latest fine, the need for stricter AML policies and immediate interventions when high-risk gambling behaviour is detected is not only crucial but necessary.”
They further emphasised that the regulatory crackdown is a wake-up call for the industry, urging operators to prioritise player protection and robust compliance frameworks to avoid similar penalties.
Numerous Failures
The UKGC identified multiple AML failures in Aspire Global’s operations, with a key issue being non-compliance with Licence Condition 12.1.1 (3). This rule mandates that licensees have effective AML and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) measures in place, yet Aspire Global failed to implement them properly.
But this was just the tip of the iceberg. Below, we break down more of the regulator’s findings and the serious shortcomings that led to regulatory action.
Enhanced Customer Due Diligence Checks
Aspire Global’s over-reliance on financial thresholds to trigger Enhanced Customer Due Diligence (ECDD) checks meant that customers were only subjected to manual reviews after reaching a set financial trigger, rather than through proactive risk assessments. Even when these thresholds were met, there were delays in carrying out ECDD checks.
In one case, a player who exceeded the financial trigger did not undergo an ECDD review for an entire week. Another instance revealed that a customer who hit the threshold but had a lower AML risk score did not receive a manual review for eight days, despite Aspire Global’s internal policy requiring earlier intervention.
Daily Loss Limits
The UKGC identified multiple social responsibility (SR) failings at Aspire Global, including a system error affecting daily loss limits. This flaw allowed some players to continue gambling beyond their pre-set cap. In total, 176 customers deposited a combined £220,334 over their supposed daily loss limit, exposing a critical failure in Aspire Global’s responsible gambling safeguards.
Additionally, Aspire Global lacked effective monitoring systems to track harmful gambling behaviour, breaching paragraph 4 of the Social Responsibility Code Provision (SRCP). One case highlighted by the UKGC involved a player who deposited and lost approximately £7,000 in just four hours during a late-night session. Despite exceeding responsible gambling thresholds, the system error allowed them to continue playing unchecked, and no manual review flagged the issue.
Self-Exclusion
The company’s self-exclusion measures also left much to be desired. One case involved a player who previously self-excluded but was still able to register multiple new accounts. Another player, whose account had been closed due to suspicious activity, successfully opened a new one without detection.
A particularly concerning case exposed a critical loophole in Aspire Global’s system. A self-excluded user bypassed the account-matching mechanism by using slightly different variations of their first name, surname, email address, and postal address. As a result, they were able to register more than 100 accounts, deposit £30,000, and lose £19,000 over 21 months, despite having previously self-excluded.
Customer Stakes
The operator also had serious failings concerning tailored harm prevention, as required under the SRCP 3.4.3. Instead of taking effective steps to reduce gambling-related harm, Aspire Global’s actions were deemed insufficient to influence player behaviour.
One key example involved a player who lost £4,500 after depositing £35,000 in just two weeks, with gambling sessions lasting over three hours. Despite these red flags, the only response from Aspire Global was two general emails and a single phone call, which the regulator deemed inadequate.
Another case showed poor record-keeping. A high-risk player was allowed to increase their monthly loss limit from £1,000 to £4,000 without Aspire Global recording any justification for the change.
