Football Pools Limited Fined £375,000 for AML and Social Responsibility Failures
An investigation by the Gambling Commission has resulted in Football Pools Limited agreeing to pay £375,000 due to multiple compliance breaches. The penalty follows failures in anti-money laundering protocols and player protection measures between September 2022 and August 2023.
Inadequate Monitoring of High-Risk Customers
The Commission found that Football Pools Limited, operator of footballpools.com and three other gambling websites, did not properly manage anti-money laundering risks. According to John Pierce, the Commission’s Director of Enforcement.
“This case demonstrates that the Licensee’s approach to anti-money laundering risk profiling and monitoring was insufficient, allowing high-risk customers to continue gambling before completing necessary enhanced due diligence checks.”
The operator was found to have allowed some customers to continue gambling despite presenting high-risk indicators. These individuals were not subject to adequate financial background checks in a timely manner, posing a risk of money laundering activity.
Over-reliance on Financial Alerts
Alongside AML issues, the Commission highlighted shortcomings in how Football Pools Limited addressed player protection. The investigation found that the operator relied too heavily on financial loss alerts, which, while they may have helped prevent major financial harm, were not sufficient to detect other signs of gambling-related problems.
“In addition, the Licensee was over-reliant on financial alerts that whilst preventing significant losses meant it failed to engage in a timely manner with some customers who were potentially experiencing other markers of gambling-related harm such as time spent gambling and high velocity spend,” Pierce said.
Settlement and Future Oversight
The full £375,000 will be directed to socially responsible causes as part of the settlement. Although the Gambling Commission acknowledged that Football Pools Limited has made necessary improvements since the compliance assessment, it issued a warning that ongoing compliance will be monitored closely.
Pierce added:
“While it is recognised that necessary improvements have been made by the Licensee following the completion of the compliance assessment, the Commission will take further action if these standards are not maintained.”