The Gambling Commission fined Corbett Bookmakers £686,070 for an array of social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures today (20 March).
The Welsh family-owned bookmakers, which operates 36 premises, will also undergo a third-party audit to ensure it is effectively implementing its AML and safer gambling policies, procedures and controls.
The fine for breaches between February 2022 and May 2024 marks the second UKGC enforcement action against a land-based operator this year, following on from its £95,450 penalty against Merkur Slots last month.
John Pierce, Gambling Commission director of enforcement, said: “This operator has failed to adhere to vital regulations designed to make gambling safer and free from criminal activity.
“As a result, it will not only pay a significant fine but also undergo a rigorous audit to ensure full compliance with anti-money laundering and safer gambling measures.”
Corbett failed to interact with at-risk customers
The social responsibility failures, which were revealed after a two-day compliance assessment, included not identifying a customer who staked £23,674 in a 13-day period as someone at risk of gambling harms.
The Commission also highlighted the bookmaker did not adequately interact with a consumer who placed 56 bets during a four-hour session, losing £3,523.
Additionally in a separate case, Corbett failed to interact with a player who bet £47,416 and lost £6,741 over a 10-week period.
Meanwhile, customers were able to stake and lose significant sums without presenting KYC evidence or other being able to verify the source or legitimacy or funds.
This, which occurred due to the high financial thresholds the operator had in place, in one case saw a consumer bet around £47,000 and lose £14,000 during an 8-month period without appropriate checks.
Pierce added: “In addition to the remedial actions already taken, we expect the operator to swiftly and fully implement the audit recommendations, demonstrating clear and measurable improvements in both policy and practice.
“Failure to do so will prompt our compliance team to reassess the situation and take further action as necessary. All operators should carefully consider this case and the price this operator is now paying.”
