In Touch Games’ Gambling License Suspended by UKGC

The Gambling Commission, the regulatory body in charge of gambling in the UK, announced a sanction against an online gambling operator. The regulatory watchdog confirmed that it has decided to suspend the license of In Touch Games Limited, the operator of bonusboss.co.uk, drslot.co.uk, casino.mfortune.co.uk, casino2020.co.uk and cashmo.co.uk, among other online gambling brands.

Judging by a statement released by the Commission, the suspension comes at a time when the company will undergo review under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005. The review and the suspension come amid concerns that In Touch Games breached the established gambling regulations.

The UK gambling regulator will now investigate and seek to determine whether the operator breached its license conditions in areas such as money laundering. Additionally, it will probe whether or not In Touch Games failed to adhere to the established regulations for reporting key events and fair and transparent terms and practices.

Announced on September 1, 2023, the Commission said that the suspension is effective immediately and is in accordance with section 118 (2) of the Gambling Act. Moreover, the Commission said that it expects the operator to “focus on treating consumers fairly and keeping them fully informed of any developments which impact them.”

“The review and consequent suspension follows concerns that activities may have been carried out contrary to the Act, not in accordance with conditions of their license and that the Licensee may be unsuitable to carry on the licensed activities. It is suspected the operator failed to follow license conditions related to money laundering, fair and transparent terms and practices, and reporting key events,“

reads a statement released by the Gambling Commission

The Company Received Two Fines from the UKGC

The latest regulatory action isn’t the first one In Touch Games faces from the gambling regulator in the UK. Earlier this year, the company was hit with a $7.5 million fine. At the time, the Commission said that the hefty fine came amid breaches of anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility regulations.

Before that, in 2021, In Touch Games received another fine, again for AML and social responsibility breaches. The fine from 2021 was some $4.3 million, making the total financial penalties for the company close to $12 million.

Late last month, the Gambling Commission released its 2022/2023 financial year and statistics report. The recent data revealed that some 23.6 million adults in the country enjoyed gambling activities between April 2022 and March 2023. Despite the high number of gamblers, problem gambling remained relatively low at 0.3%.