William Hill Group fined £19.2m for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures
William Hill Group's businesses fined record £19.2m for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.
Three gambling businesses owned by the William Hill Group have been ordered to pay £19.2m ($26.7m) for failing to meet social responsibility and anti-money laundering (AML) standards.
The fines imposed on the companies, which include WHG (International), Mr Green, and William Hill Organization, is the largest ever taken by the UK Gambling Commission.
Among the charges levied against the companies were inadequate controls, failure to identify customers at risk of harm, and insufficient controls to prevent substantial losses.
The companies were also found to have allowed customers to stake large amounts of money without appropriate monitoring. Although there were serious enough concerns for the Commission to consider licence suspension, the regulator has recognised that the companies worked to improve their practices.
Since the beginning of 2022, the Commission has enforced 26 cases, with companies having to pay over £76m ($105m) in total.
Despite the improvement in the industry’s standards, the regulator remains committed to ensuring that consumers are protected, and criminal funds do not enter the business.