A court has sided with the UK Gambling Commission over a penalty issued to Daub Alderney which was slapped with a £5.85-million fine last year over failure to uphold social responsibility and anti-money laundering standards. The date of the fine goes back to September 2021, with Daub Alderney seeking to remedy the situation and challenge the regulator’s ruling.
UGKC Wins Appeal Case in Daub Alderney Case
However, the First-Tier Tribunal has sided with the watchdog. Daub Alderney sought to convince the mediator that the penalty issued against its business was unfair, excessive, and disproportionate.
However, a judge dismissed the complaint and said that the UKGC had acted in good faith and that the regulatory response was reasonable and fair considering the offense. The judge presiding over the case outlined what motivated her decision, and said:
I find that there were serious breaches which were similar to the breaches for which a substantial financial penalty was imposed in 2018 and there are no new facts which persuade me that the decision was wrong.
Ruling in Daub Alderney case
UKGC deputy CEO Sarah Gardner welcomed the decision of the First-Tier Tribunal to dismiss the appeal. Gardner dismissed the complaint that the regulator had acted high-handedly and assured that when the regulator acts, it does so out of the interest of the consumer by following the rules that make gambling safe and protect it from becoming a conduit of crime.
UKGC Ramps Up Penalties Against Operators in the UK
Meanwhile, the UKGC has been particularly active this year, taking a strong stance against operators and companies that the regulator deemed were in breach of gambling laws and regulations. Among the penalties issued this year is a $285,000 fine against Aspire Global.
The watchdog similarly slapped Betfred.com, and its Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited operator. The penalty amounted to $3.07 million. Betway was hit with a $464,000 fine and Entain suffered the biggest penalty ever meted out at the hands of the regulator, ordered to pay approximately $20.60 million.