Key Moments:
- The UK Gambling Commission has ordered Maple International Ventures to pay £360,000 due to anti-money laundering and social responsibility violations.
- Breaches took place between June 2023 and July 2024, including insufficient risk assessments and ineffective controls for duplicate and linked accounts.
- Maple’s payment includes a £50,000 divestment to socially responsible causes and investigation costs.
Regulatory Findings Lead to Significant Payment
Maple International Ventures, the operator behind Lottomart.com, has been required to make a £360,000 payment. This action came after the UK Gambling Commission identified a series of shortcomings in anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility practices. These failings were uncovered following a comprehensive investigation and include both license condition and social responsibility code breaches.
Details of Anti-Money Laundering Shortcomings
Between June 2023 and July 2024, the Gambling Commission found Maple International Ventures fell short in its risk assessments. Specifically, it omitted key risks and failed to provide adequate policy detail. In addition, gaps were identified in Maple’s compliance with Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) 12.1.1 (1), relating to business risks associated with money laundering and terrorist financing.
The UK Gambling Commission has fined Lottomart’s operator Maple International Ventures £360,000 for failures in anti-money laundering, identity verification & monitoring of harmful gambling behaviour. #AML #PlayerProtection pic.twitter.com/ikwCjIgAh8
— Casino Gap (@CasinoGap) September 17, 2025
From May to October 2024, Maple was noted for not ensuring that its AML policies, procedures, and controls under LCCP 12.1.1(2) were sufficient. Problems included ineffective mechanisms to detect and address duplicate or linked accounts. The Commission cited a specific incident where a player bypassed automated controls by altering their name order. As a result, the player was able to make “significant” deposits and losses before detection.
Maple was also found in breach of LCCP 12.1.1(3), which involves the effective implementation of AML and social responsibility controls. The Commission highlighted that there were delays between identifying a money laundering risk and taking remedial action, resulting in customers transacting above planned thresholds. For example, some customers whose identities were yet unverified continued to transact beyond set due diligence limits.
No evidence was found to suggest criminal expenditure or acceptance of funds from individuals under financial sanctions.
Weaknesses in Social Responsibility Practices
The Gambling Commission also determined that Maple’s customer monitoring failed to meet requirements, as outlined in SRCP 3.4.3 paragraph 4. Controls intended to prevent players from opening multiple accounts were not always effective; the Commission detailed an instance where a player successfully opened a second account and made considerable deposits before discovery.
In addition, issues were found with indicators meant to recognize potential gambling harm under SRCP 3.4.3 paragraph 5. The Commission described Maple’s controls as “inadequate.” For example, large winnings were followed by high-value bets without sufficient intervention.
Regarding SRCP 3.4.3 paragraph 11, which mandates action based on strong indicators of harm, the regulator observed that Maple’s policies did not clearly define “strong” indicators or related automated responses.
Resolution and Remediation Steps
Maple International Ventures agreed to pay £360,000 in lieu of a financial penalty, which includes a £50,000 divestment for socially responsible causes and investigative costs. The Commission acknowledged Maple’s rapid development of an action plan to address identified failings and its full cooperation during the proceedings. Maple was aware of certain system issues before regulator intervention. Nevertheless, effective remediation only took place after discussions with the Commission.
| Area of Concern | Examples of Failings | Relevant Period |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Money Laundering (AML) | Incomplete risk assessments, ineffective controls, delays in policy application | June 2023 – July 2024 |
| Duplicate/Linked Accounts | Players bypassed controls and made significant deposits and losses | May 2024 – October 2024 |
| Social Responsibility | Weak customer monitoring, inadequate indicators for harm, unclear criteria for strong indicators | Not specified |
Official Statement
“The cornerstone of every licensed business must be the proper implementation of effective policies and procedures aimed at making gambling crime free and safer,” said John Pierce, director of enforcement at the Gambling Commission.
“This operator is now being held to account for anti-money laundering and social responsibility failings uncovered during a compliance assessment.
“We would advise all operators to read the Maple International Ventures public statement and consider whether their own policies and procedures are both effective and are being successfully implemented.”
- Author
Daniel Williams
