Published on 28th April 2016 by Becky Mosley

Gala Coral, a leading online gaming provider, has complied with a ruling to hand over in excess of £846,000 due to a failure to adhere to legislation. The UK Gambling Commission (UGC) examined their activities in relation to anti-money laundering and social responsibility. The UGC concluded that Gala Coral had not complied with their obligations, and advised Gala Coral to give the money back.

Operating In An Ethical Manner

The UGC enquiry was centred around Coral Racing and Gala Interactive, and was designed to find out whether or not the organisation was operating in an ethical and responsible manner. The enquiry related specifically to a male customer who was sentenced to three years in prison as a result of obtaining £800,000 by deception. The money was stolen from an adult who is considered vulnerable, which only compounded the seriousness of the matter.The man in this case had been placing bets with Gala Coral from 2012. He then became an online consumer of Gala products between January 2014 and January 2015.

More checks Should Have Been Done

Gala Coral has agreed with the UGC’s ruling that there should have been more stringent checks on the activities of this man, in order to prevent or minimise the theft. As a result, the organisation has complied with the request to pay £846,000 to the victim in question. This is the amount that was squandered on wagering as a direct consequence of the man’s actions.

Money Laundering

Gala Coral has also pledged to tighten up their procedures and policies surrounding money laundering and being a socially responsible provider of online betting opportunities. The UGC has advised that other providers follow suit, in order to prevent such a situation from being repeated in the future.Director at the UGC, Richard Watson, has said ‘We expect the industry to learn the lessons from this case, as it is their responsibility to keep crime out of gambling and protect vulnerable people from harm’.