UKGC Takes Action: Football Pools Limited Fined £375,000

Football Pools Limited, which operates several online platforms including footballpools.com, will be required to pay the entire amount towards socially responsible causes. The company has experienced losses in recent years and is looking to rebrand and reach fresh audiences. The betting format was popular in decades gone by as a way to bet on the Saturday kick-off games.

The investigation highlighted weaknesses in the operator’s approach to monitoring high-risk customers, alongside inadequate procedures for identifying and addressing potential gambling-related harm among their players.

According to John Pierce, the Commission’s Director of Enforcement, Football Pools Limited relied too heavily on financial alerts to flag risky gambling behaviour. While this method prevented significant financial losses, it was deemed to have failed to effectively identify other indicators of harm such as extended gambling sessions and rapid spending among the player base.

Pierce stated: “This case demonstrates that the Licensee’s approach to anti-money laundering risk profiling and monitoring was insufficient, allowing high-risk customers to continue gambling before completing necessary enhanced due diligence checks.”

He further emphasised that while the operator has since taken steps to improve its practices, the Commission will not hesitate to enforce further action if standards are not maintained.

The UKGC is responsible for regulating gambling across the UK, ensuring that operators uphold robust systems to protect consumers and combat money laundering. This latest enforcement action serves as a clear reminder that failure to meet required standards will result in significant penalties.