UKGC suspends Ken Howell’s online gambling licence
Britain’s gambling regulator has suspended the online operating licence of Ken Howell’s Sports Betting after uncovering anti-money-laundering failures.
The Gambling Commission announced on September 21 that it had suspended the combined remote operating licence held by Targetlocal Ltd with immediate effect.
Targetlocal trades as Ken Howell’s Sports Betting and operates kenhowells.com, with the licence covering online casino games, sports betting and virtual event betting.
The Gambling Commission said enquiries into the operator had revealed anti-money-laundering failures, prompting it to open a formal review under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005.
“The suspension will remain in place until the Commission is satisfied the business is compliant,” the regulator said.
The Commission did not disclose the precise nature or scale of the AML deficiencies, but importantly for existing customers, the suspension does not prevent players from accessing their accounts or withdrawing their money.
Targetlocal has also been instructed to treat customers fairly during the suspension and keep them informed about developments affecting them.
The enforcement action applies only to Targetlocal’s combined remote operating licence, with their non-remote general betting standard licence not suspended.
The regulator’s action against Targetlocal continues a series of recent interventions involving smaller British bookmakers.
Last month the Commission suspended licences held by BresBet Ltd and Bet St George Ltd after identifying suspected social responsibility and anti-money-laundering failures.
Targetlocal’s suspension is effective immediately while the regulatory review continues.
