UKGC suspends Genesis Global license due to compliance issues

The UK Gambling Commission has called for an interim suspension of Genesis Global Limited’s operating license as it reviews the gaming operator’s activities.  The suspension was announced on 21st July, effective immediately, until further notice, requiring the gaming operator to halt operations and activities of all the websites it offers in the UK while the review is ongoing.  

The Commission has brought about this suspension due to several compliance breaches.  The regulator will focus on the UK’s Gambling Act particularly in section 116(2)(a) and section 116(2)(c)(i)) with respect to Genesis Casino Global’s breaches of the law.  The regulator has pushed to review the company’s license as it has reason to suspect that the company has operated in various activities that have been performed in reliance on the license but not in accordance with its conditions, all stipulated in Section 116(2)(a).  Also, section 116(2)(c)(i)) allows the regulator to review any operator if it suspects them as unsuitable for licensed operations. 

Genesis Global’s combined remote license covers many casino and gambling services such as real event and sports betting, virtual betting, and casino gaming activities. The license suspension covers all of these, making it illegal for Genesis Global Limited to offer casino gaming and wagering services in the UK through the following 12 brands: Casoola, Casino Planet, Kassu, Casino Cruise, Casino Gods, Casino J0y, Genesis Casino, Pelaa, Sloty, Spela, Spinit and Vegas Hero.

The Commission has also instructed the gaming operator to allow players to access their sites and withdraw their funds while making it clear on all its websites that wagers are not allowed to be placed until the Commission has finalised its review. 

In recent months, the UKGC has launched a number of similar license reviews.  The regulator has hit many operators with fines and these include gaming operators such as Stakers Ltd and FSB Technology. The latter firm has agreed to pay £600,000 for fines against advertising, money laundering, and social responsibility failings on behalf of 3 third-party licenses held by the operator.  

The regulator’s crackdown has recently seen a rise as it is under a negative spotlight by anti-gambling parliamentarians.  They have been repeatedly critical of the regulator, calling it unfit for its purpose. This is due to its alleged laxness with the companies that it is supposed to oversee.   The House of Lords has recently called the regulator to action and has urged it to be stricter and more willing to revoke licenses of operators who fail to honour their regulatory obligations. 

The Malta-based operator holds licenses issued by the Malta Gaming Authority while its other services are also licensed by regulators in Spain and in Sweden.  The latter has proven difficult for the gaming operator due to financial penalties amounting to £141,456 imposed by the Swedish regulator, Spelinspektionen.  This was due to the company’s online gambling websites Vegas Hero and Sloty violating of the customer bonus offer rules and also due to its failure to properly connect its Swedish offered sites to the country’s online gambling self-exclusion service.  

Genesis Global may be back in action soon, but for now they will be taken off all gambling websites and all advertising ceased in the UK until further notice.