A retail gambling operator in Leicester has been fined £150,000 by the Gambling Commission for failing to offer a self-exclusion scheme to customers.
Holland Park Leisure Limited, which runs three adult gaming centres in the city centre, was fined after the Commission found it failed to join a multi-operator self-exclusion scheme, which is a mandatory requirement for both online casinos and brick-and-mortar gambling locations.
The scheme, named Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.5.6, gives users the power to exclude themselves from multiple land-based gambling venues in a local area, and is legally required across the UK, reports iGaming Business.
A press release on the Gambling Commission’s website states that Holland Park Leisure had previously been warned about not complying with the scheme, but failed to take action and also provided misleading information.
John Pierce, the Commission’s director of enforcement and intelligence, highlighted the importance of making sure that “all operators fully integrate with the scheme and maintain effective safeguards for self-excluded customers”.
Pierce outlined the requirements for operators to be “fully participating in a recognised multi-operator self-exclusion scheme”, adding: “These are not optional requirements. They are fundamental licence conditions designed to protect consumers from harm, and operators that fail to meet them can expect regulatory action.”
The fine is the latest in a string of action to enforce regulations, with the Commission having recently reached a regulatory settlement of £4.75m with Evolution after a review of the company’s black market activity.
The news also comes as betting companies face an uncertain future in the UK, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham revealing plans to raise gambling taxes and give councils more power to deny new brick-and-mortar venues.
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