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Compliance Updates

Danish Regulator Reprimands Unibet Over AML Issues

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Unibet ‘Denmark’ Limited, which is responsible for Kindred’s Danish business, has been ordered by the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) to update its risk assessment.

The regulator said it uncovered a “number of breaches” during an inspection concerning the company’s AML obligations.

The DGA reprimanded Unibet for violating its rules on business procedures, know your customer (KYC) measures and politically exposed persons etc., as well as its rules on obligation to investigate and obligation to report.

It said, until 25 January this year, Unibet did not have “sufficient written business procedures for ongoing monitoring of existing customer relations.”

The DGA added that Unibet also lacked sufficient business procedures for collecting and assessing documentation in relation to suspected money laundering, as well as mitigating existing risks through certain payment methods.

A further reprimand was given for Unibet’s insufficient business procedures “for managing politically exposed persons, their family members and close associates,” as well as for not employing adequate KYC measures for five out of 20 high-roller customers inspected during a spot check.

Unibet also, according to the DGA, allowed a young player to deposit more than DKK 1m ($152,708) without adequate knowledge of his funds’ source.

The regulator has given the company two months to update its risk assessment, though said its reprimands do not entail an obligation to act since the breaches no longer exist.

Kindred said in a statement: “As previously communicated, Unibet ‘Denmark’ Limited, which operates Kindred Group’s Danish business, has been reprimanded by the Danish gambling authority, regarding past failing related to AML.

“Since then, Unibet has, in collaboration with the regulator, updated its AML framework accordingly and will provide the regulator with an updated risk assessment.

“Kindred Group have the ambition to demonstrate the highest quality and standards in the industry and we are pleased to see that the regulator have now acknowledged that the breaches no longer exists.

“Kindred has corresponded with the regulator in the matter in an open, transparent and productive manner throughout the process.

“We will continue with the collaboration and do everything necessary to further strengthen our control procedures maintaining our ambitions on offering high consumer safety and AML security.”

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Compliance Updates

Elizabeth Varley, solicitor at licensing law firm Poppleston Allen, shares a handy refresher on the UK’s statutory levy, including the who, how much, why and how to pay

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Invoices are now available for payment on eServices

Invoices for the Statutory Levy are now available on the Gambling Commission’s eServices. Payment must be made by 30 September 2025.

Licensees should have been contacted to make payment via the ‘Invoices and Payments’ tab of their eServices account. For anyone who has not received any correspondence, primary contact details on your eServices account should be checked to ensure these are up to date.

As a reminder, we have outlined the basics of the levy below.

What is the levy?

Following a public consultation led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which ran from 17 October to 14 December 2023 the Government introduced a statutory levy to be charged to all licensed gambling operators, with rates set per sector/activity provided

The levy replaces the previous requirement for licensees to make annual financial contributions to a list of research, prevention and treatment organisations.

Where the total billable statutory levy value for a licensee is £10 or less for a relevant period, the licensee will not be required to pay.

The levy period

The first statutory levy period is defined in the Gambling Levy Regulations. For lottery operating (society) licences the first statutory levy period began on 1 April 2024, for all other operating licenses the first statutory levy period began on 1 July 2024. For all licensees, except society lottery operating licences, the calculation of the statutory levy will be based on Regulatory Returns data from July 2024 to March 2025 multiplied by one and one-third. For society lottery operating licences the calculation will be based on data reported to the Gambling Commission relating to 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

The statutory levy will then be invoiced on an annual basis, on 1 September, and will be based on the activity from the previous financial year. For example an invoice issued on 1 September 2026, would be the levy payable for 2026 to 2027, but would be based on regulatory return data relating to 2025 to 2026 (April 2025 to March 2026).

Payment

Invoices for the statutory levy this financial year (2024 to 2025) are now available online through eServices with full payment required before 1 October 2025, meaning payment must be made by midnight on 30 September 2025.

Payment of the statutory levy is a licence requirement, and therefore non-payment, or late payment of the statutory levy could result in operating licence revocation, unless the Gambling Commission is satisfied that this is due to administrative error.

How is the levy calculated?

The rate of the levy varies depending on the licensed activity provided, ranging from 0.1 percent to 1.1 percent:

Type

Percentage of leviable amount

Gambling Software

1.1%

Remote Betting intermediary (not trading room only)

1.1%

Remote Bingo

1.1%

Remote Casino

1.1%

Remote General Betting

1.1%

Betting intermediary (trading room only)

0.5%

Non remote betting intermediary

0.5%

Non remote casino

0.5%

Non remote General Betting (not on-track or on-course)

0.5%

AGC

0.2%

Non remote Bingo

0.2%

Non remote General Betting (on-track or on-course)

0.2%

FEC

0.1%

Gaming Machine Technical

0.1%

Lottery

0.1%

Pool Betting

0.1%

The post Elizabeth Varley, solicitor at licensing law firm Poppleston Allen, shares a handy refresher on the UK’s statutory levy, including the who, how much, why and how to pay appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Ghana’s NLA Introduces New Sticker to Clamp Down on Illegal Lotto Operators

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The fight against illegal lotto operations in Ghana continues unabated with a major push led by the Director-General and Management of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).

On August 26, the Authority organised a press conference at Brennan Hall to re-emphasise the ongoing registration exercise for Lotto Writers under registered Private Lotto Operators, a process initially launched on September 18, 2024, under the previous leadership.

As part of the initiative, unique identification stickers are being introduced for all Writers and Agents of Private Lotto Operators (PLOs). This measure is expected to reduce illegal activities in the industry and significantly boost the Authority’s revenue.

Addressing the press, the Director-General, Mr. Mohammed Abdul-Salam, noted the growing difficulty distinguishing legitimate writers from illegal ones. He explained that the introduction of the new sticker system would firmly establish the Authority’s regulatory role. Supported by the Operations and Compliance teams, this initiative will be enforced from September 1, 2025, to clamp down on unlicensed operators.

The Executive Secretary of the Concerned Lotto Agents and Writers Association (CLAAG), Mr. Kwaku Duah, welcomed the development, stressing that it was time for Registered Operators to benefit from the fees they had paid. He further cautioned that any Agent or Writer who fails to comply with the new regulations would not receive their support when caught by the law.

The sticker will display the Agent or Writer’s name, location, phone number and payment details, among other information. A QR code generated upon payment will allow the compliance team to easily verify duly licensed operators during their visits.

Mr. Andrew Tuah, Head of Operations, added that the registration fee of GHC 250 for Lotto Writers was to be renewed annually. In addition to the sticker’s robust security features, which cannot be duplicated, he announced a nationwide sensitisation exercise for the Lotto Writers to familiarise themselves with this app.

The press conference was also attended by the Deputy Director-General, Mr. Eric Yeboah Wadie, the Public Relations Officer of CLAAG, Mr. David Agbeviadeh, members of the Executive Management, Management and Staff of the Authority.

The post Ghana’s NLA Introduces New Sticker to Clamp Down on Illegal Lotto Operators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Balkan's

CT Gaming Secures Certification for its Latest Multigame – Diamond King 5

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CT Gaming has announced that the newest addition to its multigame portfolio – Diamond King 5 – has now been officially certified for the Bulgarian market. This marks an important milestone for the company.

As part of the well-established Diamond King series, the new multigame brings even more excitement and opportunities for players. The package includes 40 games, of which 20 are linked to the progressive Diamond Tree Deluxe jackpot, adding extra layers of entertainment and winning potential. The remaining 20 titles are classic games, including two with a Buy Bonus feature, allowing players to dive directly into the bonus rounds.

Diamond King 5 combines well-known player favorites with the legendary Mega Jack trio – Aztec Gold, Slot-O-Pol Deluxe, and Champagne Party – along with a range of exciting new titles that are set to become audience hits. Just like with Diamond King 4, players can win bonuses and jackpots during the base game, promising an even more thrilling gaming experience. In addition to its exciting content, the multigame is compatible with two types of cabinets — the EZ Modulo Tower with a single vertical monitor, and the NEXT or EZ Modulo with three horizontally positioned monitors.

“The certification of Diamond King 5 is an important moment for us. This is a product in which we have invested the very best of everything we’ve created in the series so far. We are confident that it will build upon the success of the previous multigames and deliver outstanding results for both operators and players,” said Biser Bojanov, CEO of CT Gaming.

The certification of Diamond King 5 in Bulgaria is just the first step in its international rollout. In the coming months, the product is set to be introduced to other key markets, continuing CT Gaming’s mission to provide flexible solutions with excellent performance for operators and unforgettable experiences for players.

The post CT Gaming Secures Certification for its Latest Multigame – Diamond King 5 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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