A newly released report from GamblingIndustryFines.com has revealed that gambling authorities and regulators worldwide issued financial sanctions to casino and sportsbetting companies totaling £40,321,217 / $54,490,092 / €48,072,047 during 2021.
According to the report the majority of fines throughout 2021 were issued by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) and the Netherlands’ regulator Kansspelautoriteit.
A large portion of the fines were issued as a direct result of operators failing to implement the correct anti-money laundering protocols and failing to identify players who were showing obvious signs of problem gambling.
The largest fine issued during 2021 was the £6,000,000 ($8.2/€7.1 million) penalty imposed by the UKGC on Casumo for failing to ensure that its players were gambling responsibly. This was the second time that the operator had received a multi-million pound penalty.
The report goes on to detail fines issued to operators including:
- Daub Alderney
- Caesars Entertainment
- Betway
- Buzz Group Ltd
- Greentube Alderney
- EU Lotto
- Tipico Co. Ltd
- LeoVegas
Online gambling affiliates were also subject to regulator scrutiny, sanctions and actions, with the Kansspelautoriteit taking action against affiliates targeting gamblers in the Netherlands with illegal offers, in December, and in Australia – the ACMA blocking unauthorized websites that target the Australian market.
Despite the large number of fines issued during 2021, the report reveals that global gambling industry fines issued by regulators dropped by over £4 million from the previous year.
View the 2021 Gambling Industry Fines Report
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.