LeoVegas is the latest online gambling operator to be hit with a hefty fine by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), agreeing to pay £600,000.A UKGC investigation found that LeoVegas had failed to handle customers correctly at the end of a voluntary self-exclusion period, as well as finding failures relating to advertising that is considered to be misleading.
The adverts
The UKGC’s investigation found 41 website adverts by LeoVegas or their affiliates which did not include important limitations, or did not state them clearly enough, leading to the advertisements misleading customers.
Self-exclusion failings
Over 11,000 customers who had opted for self-exclusion from LeoVegas sites did not have their account balances returned to them at the point of the closure of their accounts.Nearly 2,000 customers had also received marketing materials from LeoVegas at the end of their self-exclusion period, without confirming that they were happy for the exclusion to end.Another 413 customers were able to access their accounts and place bets at the end of their self-exclusion period without LeoVegas contacting them in advance, or applying a 24-hour cooling off period before allowing the players access to the casino.
UKGC comment
Speaking of the fine, Chief Executive of the UKGC, Neil McArthur, said:“The outcome of this case should leave no one in any doubt that we will be tough with licence holders who mislead consumers or fail to meet the standards we set in our licence conditions and codes of practice.”“We want operators to learn the lessons from our investigations and use those lessons to raise standards.”LeoVegas have agreed to pay a £600,000 fine, have closed all affected accounts, and have implemented a system which will see account balances returned to players in full within 48 hours of them opting for self-exclusion.