Maple International Ventures, the operator of Lottomart, has agreed to pay GBP360,000 (approximately $448,000) to settle regulatory action, following recent findings by the United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission. According to the Commission, the operator had failed to meet anti-money laundering and social responsibility obligations.
UK Gambling Commission Found Lapses in Maple International Ventures’ Operations
The Commission initiated a regulatory review under section 116 following a compliance assessment conducted in June 2024 of the remote operating licence held by Maple International Ventures Limited, the operator of Lottomart.com. The investigation revealed major deficiencies in the company’s internal controls, including weak risk assessments, ineffective systems for detecting duplicate accounts, and inadequate customer interaction processes intended to identify signs of gambling-related harm.
It was also found that some customers, whose identities had not been fully verified, were allowed to continue making transactions beyond the financial thresholds that trigger mandatory customer due diligence checks.
Between June 2023 and July 2024, the Commission determined that Maple International Ventures’ risk assessment was insufficient, failing to account for critical threats such as those posed by organised crime groups and the use of mule accounts. The operator’s systems for identifying duplicate or linked accounts were particularly flawed. For example, one customer was able to bypass detection simply by reversing the order of their first and last names.
From a social responsibility standpoint, the operator did not have effective systems in place to monitor customer behaviour or to detect potential signs of gambling harm from the point of account registration. Additionally, the Commission found that the operator’s controls were inadequate for identifying concerning behaviours such as binge gambling, sudden spikes in activity, overnight play, or high-stakes betting following significant wins.
The GBP360,000 ($448,000) settlement includes a GBP50,000 (approximately $62,000) divestment, with all funds allocated to socially responsible initiatives.
Officials Comment on the Situation
John Pierce, director of enforcement at the Commission, emphasized that the foundation of any licensed gambling business must be the effective implementation of policies and procedures designed to prevent crime and promote safer gambling. He stated that Maple International Ventures is being held accountable for failings related to anti-money laundering and social responsibility, which were identified during a compliance assessment.
Pierce also encouraged all operators to review the Commission’s public statement on Maple International Ventures and assess whether their own policies and procedures are both robust and effectively enforced.