UKGC Fines Greentube £1 Million for Regulatory Failures

Findings of the Investigation

Greentube was found to have violated several licensing conditions, including:

• Relying on irregular or unsustainable sources of income for customer spending limits.
• Failing to verify the authenticity of customer-supplied documents.
• Overlooking signs of customer vulnerability.
• Delaying responses to potential money laundering and terrorist financing risks.
• Neglecting to assess “risky occupations” during AML checks.

These failings highlight the importance of robust checks and practices to ensure that operators provide safe online casinos where customers are protected from financial and social harm.

Examples of Breaches

In one case, a customer deposited £4,000 over four months despite bank statements showing negative balances and transactions with other gambling operators.

Another customer’s statement revealed over £100,000 in unusual account transfers and a negative closing balance, which was only flagged four months later.

The investigation also highlighted a failure to mitigate risks associated with a finance manager who could misappropriate funds. Additionally, Greentube missed a connection between two accounts sharing an address and surname, one of which belonged to a customer previously blocked due to drug-related convictions.

Enforcement Warning

John Pierce, the UKGC’s Director of Enforcement, emphasized the seriousness of the breaches, stating:

While we noted general improvements, further regulatory failings were identified. Any operator found to breach these rules repeatedly should expect stricter enforcement. Failure to uphold AML standards is unacceptable.

John Pierce

This is the second regulatory action against Greentube. The company was previously fined £685,000 in 2021 for similar violations. The UKGC confirmed it will continue to monitor the operator to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.