Victoria Gate Casino in Leeds city centre has been forced to close its doors due to “serious concerns” over its anti-money laundering procedures.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced the suspension of licence for VGC Leeds Ltd after failings it identified during a recent Compliance Assessment.
As a result, the casino’s doors remained locked to the public over the weekend with a customer notice taped to the glass entrance door saying that it hoped to welcome back customers “very soon”.
Why Has VGC Leeds Had It’s Casino Licence Suspended?
The UKGC is the regulatory body which oversees gambling and gaming law in the UK and issues operating licences for both land-based and online operators.
It has the power to impose financial penalties, as witnessed recently when Betfred’s operator was fined £240,000 by the UKGC for a slot games breach.
It also has the power to suspend and even revoke gambling licenses depending on the severity of any given situation.
An immediate suspension was enforced on VGC Leeds after the UKGC said it believed the casino operator had “failed to maintain and implement effective anti-money laundering policies, procedures, and controls, as required under the conditions of their licence.”
The UKGC also revealed that “serious concerns were identified regarding the adequacy of decision-making processes and the Licensee’s response to identified anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing risks, raising questions about the overall effectiveness of its governance and risk management arrangements.
“These failings are considered significant and represent a serious threat to the licensing objectives, in particular keeping crime out of gambling.”
The 50,000 square feet, £30 million super casino opened within the Leeds city centre shopping complex in 2017, offering patrons 22 live betting tables, 175 slots and roulette games and a large sports bar with multiple screens.
Over the weekend, a customer notice fixed inside the casino’s entrance stated: “We are sorry to confirm that our operating licence has been temporarily suspended by the Commission and our venue is currently closed.
“We hope to open and welcome you back very soon.
“If you have any further questions or need any further information – please contact us at [email protected]”
UKGC Suspends Spribe’s Gambling Software Licence
In a busy few days, the UKGC has also suspended the operating licence of Spribe OÜ on the grounds of suitability, “due to serious non-compliance with the hosting requirements of our licensing framework.”
Tbilisi-headquartered Spribe has held a remote gambling software licence in the UK since December 2020, but not a remote casino host licence.
As the firm has been actively hosting games on behalf of casino operators it has had its present licence suspended by the UKGC and told that “all hosting activity must stop immediately unless and until a suitable hosting licence is obtained.”
Spribe has confirmed that this was a technical issue that wasn’t picked up in their original licence application and that it is working to add the necessary permissions “urgently to ensure full technical legal compliance.”
