British-based gambling company Gala Coral has received a hefty £880,000 ($1,289,948 or €1,126,713) for continuing to accept deposits from a problem gambler. The VIP player was so caught up in his gambling that he stole large amounts of money from his family to fund his habit.
The fine, which was determined by the UK Gambling Commission, was made up of £846,664 in restitution to the VIP gambler and his family and £30,000 to the Commission to pay for the cost of the investigation. The regulator slammed the gaming company for continuing to accept deposits from the player, without any consideration for where he had sourced the funds.
In its ruling the Commission wrote: “Gala Coral Group failed to conduct adequate inquiries about the source of funds the customer used to gamble in store and online, and placed over-reliance on the fact that the relevant payments were all made through one UK clearing bank account. There were indicators in the customer’s online and in-store play which could have been used to identify him as problem gambler.”
Despite showing a general disregard for providing adequate checks on their customers, Gala Coral will not face a review of their UK gaming license. The UK Gambling Commission believed the fine would serve as a reminder of the importance of fulfilling their duties as a gambling operator.
