The Gambling Commission (GC) has taken immediate and decisive action by suspending the operating license of VGC Leeds Limited, the company responsible for running the Victoria Gate Casino in the center of Leeds.
This suspension will remain in force while the UK regulator conducts a full review of the operator’s activities, utilizing its powers under Section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005.
The Victoria Gate Casino, situated adjacent to the Victoria Shopping Center in Eastgate, is a prominent venue featuring 22 live betting tables alongside 175 slot and electronic roulette games.
The Commission stated that its decision stems from serious concerns that VGC Leeds Limited may have contravened the provisions of the Gambling Act and, consequently, “may be unsuitable to carry on the licensed activities.”
This significant regulatory step was prompted by findings from a recent Compliance Assessment. The review indicated that VGC Leeds Limited had critically failed to establish and maintain effective anti-money laundering (AML) policies, procedures, and controls, which are mandatory requirements under its license conditions.
Beyond the AML failings, the regulator also expressed serious concerns regarding the overall adequacy of the licensee’s internal decision-making processes and the effectiveness of its existing governance and risk management arrangements.
The suspension of VGC Leeds Limited marks the second such action announced by the Gambling Commission this week, signaling a period of heightened enforcement activity within the UK market.
Just recently, the regulator confirmed the suspension of the gaming software license held by Spribe OÜ. The suspension for Spribe was initiated due to alleged serious non-compliance related to hosting requirements.
Specifically, Spribe is believed to have conducted B2B activity beyond the scope of its original license, effectively hosting online casino games without the requisite proper authorization.
Spribe responded by characterizing the problem as a “technical licensing gap” that was not identified during its 2020 application process. The company is actively preparing to submit a license variation application to officially include remote casino game host activities under its authorization.
