Multiple failures to spot money laundering and problem gambling has seen William Hill fined £6.2 million by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the second highest fine after the £7.8 million 888 were forced to pay by the commission (for similar reasons) in 2017.
What happened?
There were numerous failings that led to this fine, these included a player who was able to deposit well over £500,000 in 14 months. A conversation with the player led William Hill to believe that they could be earning £365,000, they asked no further questions and let the player continue. It later transpired that this player earned £30,000 a year and was stealing from their employer to fund their gambling.Another player on £30,000 a year deposited over £650,000 in just nine months, William hill went to no efforts to ascertain where the player got so much money from.Another player who deposited over £650,000, this time over 18 months, did trigger alerts that resulted in an Amber grade warning, but a systems failure meant nothing was done and the player kept playing for a further six months.
Responsibility
Speaking of the fine, Neil McArthur, Executive Director at the UKGC, said:“This was a systemic failing at William Hill which went on for nearly two years and today’s penalty package – which could exceed £6.2m – reflects the seriousness of the breaches.“Gambling businesses have a responsibility to ensure that they keep crime out of gambling and tackle problem gambling – and as part of that they must be constantly curious about where the money they are taking is coming from.”Philip Bowcock, Chief Executive of William Hill said the operator had fully complied with the commission throughout the process and has introduced new policies to ensure these mistakes are not repeated.