FDJ United has promised that it will continue to evaluate and improve its compliance and player protection standards after its Unibet operations received a £10m fine from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for anti-money laundering and social responsibility failings.
The UKGC reported earlier today that Platinum Gaming Limited, the operator of unibet.co.uk and uk.bingo.com, has received a penalty, a warning and will be subject to a third-party audit to ensure AML and safer gambling policies, procedures and controls are being implemented effectively.
AML and safer gambling ‘a top priority’
In response, an FDJ United spokesperson told iGaming Expert that its senior leadership considers AML and safer gambling “a top priority” and it believes the independent review will show that necessary steps are being taken.
An FDJ United spokesperson stated: “Platinum Gaming Ltd, the operator of Unibet in the UK and an entity of FDJ UNITED (at the time under the management of Kindred Group) acknowledges the UKGC’s finding that legacy monitoring technology was not sufficiently effective at the time of the review (i.e. from January 2023 to May 2024).
“As a result of the findings by the UKGC, Platinum Gaming has implemented new software solutions and risk management frameworks across anti-money laundering and safer gambling, providing a detailed knowledge of customer risk allowing for near real-time automated alerts and customer interventions.”
£10m penalty
Within its report, the UKGC expressed significant shortcomings in the operator’s customer interaction systems, including failing to spot and act on clear harm markers.
This included customers losing thousands of pounds in a few hours or days of registration, players breaching loss limits repeatedly and consumers showing binge gambling patterns without appropriate intervention.
One customer exceeded their loss limit of £2,500 within 16 minutes of registering and another losing £5,000 within 24 hours.
AML failures were also highlighted, including gaps in risk assessment resulting in customers who previously had their accounts closed by the licensee before 2023 being able to open new accounts and gamble. It was also deemed that there was a lack of clarity in the company’s AML policy around due diligence thresholds and customer reviews not including potential high-risk factors.
“FDJ UNITED remains committed to the highest compliance standards and player protection policies. As part of this, the Group will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of and improve its processes and tools to meet these standards,” added the FDJ United spokesperson.
“Senior leadership have safer gambling and anti-money laundering as a top priority in operational discussions, as well as a priority in the Group’s strategic agenda. FDJ UNITED will continue to work closely with the UKGC on this matter and remain confident that the external review will show necessary steps have been taken.”
Serious shortcomings
As part of the UKGC report, Director of Enforcement, John Pierce, stated that the operator’s shortcomings were “particularly disappointing” and that its senior management needs to “take ownership of compliance outcomes and ensure lessons are embedded across the organisation”.
“While industry-wide progress has been made in reducing unchecked high spending, the failings at Platinum Gaming are particularly disappointing,” Pierce said.
“The case revealed serious shortcomings in customer interaction systems, including failures to identify and act on clear markers of harm. These included consumers losing thousands within hours or days of registration, repeatedly breaching loss limits, and exhibiting patterns of binge and high-velocity gambling without appropriate intervention.
“Significant anti-money laundering failures were also identified. These included gaps in the licensee’s risk assessment, which failed to account for previously blocked accounts linked to money laundering concerns, and a lack of clarity in the AML policy around due diligence thresholds.
“Customer reviews did not consistently consider high-risk factors, despite these being outlined in the licensee’s own framework.”
Platinum Gaming was previously subject to a fine by the UKGC back in 2023 for AML and social responsibility failures, receiving a £2.9m penalty.
Pierce added: “Alongside the £10m financial penalty, this operator is required to conduct a follow-up independent audit and internal investigation – providing regular updates to the Commission. These added conditions are designed to drive meaningful change, reinforce accountability, and embed a culture of compliance.
“Senior leaders must take ownership of compliance outcomes and ensure lessons are embedded across the organisation, supported by structured reporting and board-level oversight – and further regulatory activity will remain a possibility.”
