Gambling Commission suspends BGO license

The UK Gambling Commission suspends BGO license. In a clear and obvious message to the Gambling industry, the UK GC has suspended the license of one of the Gambling industries biggest names for failure to protect consumers.

BGO Entertainment holds more than one license around the world, so the Gambling Commission suspension does not mean that there is no more BGO Entertainment. All it means is that the BGO group will stop (temporarily) accepting players from the UK. Existing players will still be able to access their accounts and withdraw funds.

UK GC Suspension

The UK Gambling Commissions reason for suspension (failing to protect customers) is part of an ongoing campaign by the UK GC to make gambling transparent. Last year the Commission fined BGO £2m and attached special conditions to their licenses for a lack of social responsibility and money laundering failures.

Statement from the British Gambling Commission. “We have made it clear to the operator that during the course of the suspension, we expect it to focus on treating consumers fairly and keeping them fully informed of any developments which impact them”.

Obviously, all BGO brands come under this suspension, so PowerSpins, VegasLuck and Chilli Casino have all been affected. Until this has been sorted by the UK GC and BGO management, links to their UK facing sites will not accept new players. All links to other countries and regions are still active.

Suitable deterrent?

It’s not the first time extreme measures have been taken by the gambling commission, so do these measures work? Although that sounds like a loaded question, it isn’t, but the answer isn’t straightforward either. In short, if you are dealing with a responsible organisation that takes gambling and its players seriously, then tough measures work.

The BGO group are a serious and responsible gambling operator that holds multiple licenses around the world. This ban will have sent a shockwave through their upper management. The fact that they have been suspended will hurt them. Not financially, but morally.

BGO Entertainment Statement

This suspension restricts the BGO group from temporarily accepting players from the UK. Existing players will still be able to access and withdraw funds.

Questions of the day

If the UK Gambling Commission suspends BGO license for failings relating to customer information that could impact their players, is this the start of a UK wide gambling overhaul? Surly BGO is not the worst offender or the only offender for that matter.

Fines obviously don’t work, especially when you are dealing with a company that makes hundreds of millions a year company. So will a suspension work, or will it drive gambling companies from the UK?

UK licensed organisations are held to a standard that is not universal across the world. BGO Entertainment is a licensed operator, so suspensions and measures work. BUT, what action (if any) will the UK GC take to stop unlicensed casinos from accepting UK players? Can it stop unlicensed casinos from operating throughout the UK? Is a US-style FBI ban possible?

The UK Gambling Commission have an uphill battle that is going to make them unpopular. Not just with the Gambling operators, but the players and affiliates too. Both are going to suffer from all actions that impact access to operators. There is a fine line between regulation and control, and the UK GC will have to manage restraint if it is to keep the UK gambling industry alive.

BeGambleAware