Great Britain’s Gambling Commission has suspended the operating licence of VGC Leeds Limited, the company that operates the Victoria Gate Casino land-based venue in Leeds, England.
The regulator announced the decision on 31 October, following a recent compliance assessment of the venue. It said this had uncovered failures to maintain and implement effective anti-money laundering policies, procedures and controls, as required by licence.
Serious concerns were also identified regarding the decision-making processes and responses to identified AML and counter-terrorist financing risks. This, the regulator said, raised questions about the overall effectiveness of governance and risk management arrangements.
The licence suspension was made effective immediately, with VGC Leeds required to halt all operations. It includes VGC Leeds’ remote and land-based casino licences and its land-based bingo licence.
‘Serious’ threat to licence objectives
In its ruling, the regulator said the licence would remain suspended while it carried out a broader review of VGC Leeds’ operations. This, it said, would establish whether it was still suitable to hold a licence for casino operations.
“These failings are considered significant and represent a serious threat to the licensing objectives, in particular keeping crime out of gambling,” the Gambling Commission said.
“We have made it clear to the operator that during the suspension, we expect it to focus on treating consumers fairly and keeping them fully informed of any developments which impact them.”
Located in Leeds city centre, the casino offers a range of slot machines, table games and electronic roulette games. It also features bars and lounges for watching sports events and hosting live entertainment.
This is not VCG Leeds’ first penalty from the Gambling Commission. In October 2021, the licence holder was handed a £450,000 regulatory settlement after the commission flagged a number of social responsibility and AML failures at the casino.
Another licence suspension in Great Britain
VGC Leeds was the second gaming operator in just a few days to have its licence suspended by the commission.
In late October, the regulator also suspended Spribe OÜ’s software licence after ruling it had failed to comply with hosting requirements. It said this was necessary on “grounds of suitability” due to “serious” non-compliance.
Spribe was required to immediately halt all hosting activity in line with the suspension. It may not resume hosting activities until the suspension is lifted and a suitable hosting licence is issued by the regulator.
The commission said VGC Leeds failed to maintain and implement effective anti-money laundering policies.