The UK Gambling Commission has now lifted the operating licence suspension implemented earlier this month on VGC Leeds which is the operator of Victoria Gate Casino in Leeds. The GC determined the venue had taken substantial steps to address the serious failings in its anti-money laundering and compliance framework since the ban.
The suspension was initially introduced following the discovery of significant breaches in the casino’s anti money laundering policies, procedures and internal controls. These failings included weaknesses in their decision making processes, ineffective responses to identified AML and counter terrorist financing flaws and broader shortfalls in how the casino conducted the monitoring of their customers. These issues are considered paramount licensing obligations under Britain’s regulatory regime and therefore prompting the Commission to take immediate action while it carried out a wider operational risk assessment.
Following on from the investigation the regulator found that VGC Leeds has since made “significant improvements” which meant the suspension was able to be lifted. The roots of these improvements were sweeping changes in the casino’s leadership and compliance functions which included the incoming of several new senior managers who would be responsible for the oversight of AML and safer gambling. The operator also introduced fully revised AML and social responsibility protocols as well as more in depth staff training. On top of this they committed to an independent audit within six weeks, a step increasingly required by the Commission when an operator’s internal controls have been called raised as a concern.
Despite reinstating the licence, the Commission made clear that its regulatory review remains active, with close monitoring continuing to ensure VGC Leeds demonstrates “full and sustained compliance”. This reflects the Gambling Commission’s ongoing direction towards a more assertive supervisory platform, with improvements being demonstrable, long-term and supported by evidence rather than promises of changes.
Victoria Gate Casino which is located in Leeds city centre is one of the region’s top land based gaming complexes which offers slot machines, a library of table games as well as electronic roulette terminals. On top of the gaming options it also has a bar. The shortfalls mark the second time in recent years that the venue has faced regulatory intervention. Four years previously, VGC Leeds paid a £450,000 settlement following social responsibility and AML failings. The repeated issues show the Commission’s growing expectation that operators learn from past enforcement and embed robust systems that prevent similar issues.
The case shows part of a broader pattern of heightened regulatory scrutiny across the British gambling industry. In recent weeks other operators have faced sanctions, Deadheat Racing had its licences suspended after suspected AML and social responsibility loopholes. Videoslots and NetBet were also ordered to pay £650,000 each for failings in similar areas, while Spribe OÜ saw its software licence suspended due to hosting related non compliance.
To conclude these actions signal the Commission’s ongoing interventions on both land-based and remote operators, reinforcing that deficiencies in AML and consumer protection will be met with hefty enforcement. For operators, the signal is clear that compliance failures whether procedural or cultural will not be accepted and the regulator expects continual, proactive risk management rather than reactive correction after issues arise.