UKGC suspends LEBOM for ‘unacceptable’ GAMSTOP integration failure

UKGC suspends LEBOM for ‘unacceptable’ GAMSTOP integration failure

Football prediction app LEBOM has been suspended by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for failing to enable access to GAMSTOP.

The company has been prohibited from interacting or transacting with its customers for an undisclosed period, having not fully integrated the self-exclusion platform into its systems.

Enabling access to GAMSTOP via betting and gaming sites has been a mandatory requirement of UK licencing conditions since 2020, and any customers who are registered with the scheme must be turned away from gambling.

Kay Roberts, UKGC Executive Director of Operations, said: “GAMSTOP provides a crucial service for people who feel they are suffering gambling harm. It is simply unacceptable for any online operator to fail to integrate with the scheme.”

The UKGC added that although LEBOM’s customers will not be able to place wagers with the app due to the suspension, the company will allow players to access their accounts to withdraw funds.

LEBOM will be permitted to resume activity once the Commission ‘is satisfied that the operator has fully integrated GAMSTOP’ – although the regular will launch a review of the company’s licence under the 2005 Gambling Act. 

“The Commission has made it clear to LEBOM Limited that during the course of the suspension, it is expected to focus on treating consumers fairly and keep them fully informed of any developments which impact them,” the UKGC’s statement read.

The suspension follows a series of enforcement actions by the Commission over the past year, although much of these were in the form of heavy regulatory penalties. 

In the latest move, the UKGC charged GGPoker UK £672,000, whilst in other examples a headline grabbing development in August saw Entain hit with a record £17m penalty, and back in March a £9.4m sanction was handed out to 888 Holdings.

In a speech at the start of the year, UKGC Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes stated that the regulator ‘would no longer tolerate repeat offenders’ regarding social responsibility and anti-money laundering standards.

Source: SBC News