UKGC Fines Maple International Ventures £360k for Compliance Failures

he UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has fined Maple International Ventures Limited, the operator of Lottomart.com, after finding major compliance failures. The regulator confirmed that Maple will pay £360,000 ($488,890), with all funds directed to socially responsible causes.

Good to Know

• Maple International Ventures fined £360,000 for AML and social responsibility failures.
• Donation includes £50,000 for groups such as GambleAware, GamCare, and Ygam.
• Failings uncovered during compliance checks between June 2023 and July 2024.

According to the UKGC, Maple failed to properly assess risks linked to money laundering and terrorist financing. Issues included weak detection of organised crime, insufficient checks for mule accounts, and poor customer identity verification. In one case, a customer bypassed detection simply by reversing their first and last names.

The regulator also pointed to gaps in social responsibility. Monitoring systems failed to spot harmful behaviour such as binge gambling, sudden increases in play, and big-money wagers following major wins. One customer even opened a second account, deposited large sums, and went undetected for a time.

Funds Directed Toward Safer Gambling

As part of the settlement, the £360,000 penalty will be channelled into socially responsible initiatives. Of that, £50,000 is earmarked for organisations including GambleAware, GamCare, Ygam, the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, and several university-run programs focused on reducing gambling harm.

The Commission stressed that Maple had a previously clean compliance record, acted quickly on an action plan, and cooperated fully with investigators. But enforcement director John Pierce underlined that strong policies must be central to every licensed operator. Pierce said:

“The cornerstone of every licensed business must be the proper implementation of effective policies and procedures aimed at making gambling crime-free and safer. This operator is now being held to account for anti-money laundering and social responsibility failings uncovered during a compliance assessment.” 

He added:

“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.”

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