UK-based online gaming business Gamesys was fined by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) for failure to prevent a self-excluded gambler from playing online. According to a filing from the New Jersey gambling regulator that went public this month, the British software development firm failed to prevent the self-excluded player from registering accounts and placing wagers on said accounts. At the time of publication, the platforms the self-excluded patron played on remain unknown.
The London-listed software company must pay back the losses the excluded gambler incurred while playing on the platforms, which amount to $1,822. Additionally, the New Jersey watchdog accused the British software firm of targeting individuals with potential gambling problems in its marketing campaigns. Gamesys was fined $750 for this violation.
The regulatory body claims the company was sending automatic emails to players who had either requested self-exclusion or had entered a cool-off period. In addition to these violations, the British firm accidentally erroneously issued a non-cash bonus credit to a customer, according to the New Jersey regulator.
Gamesys has been present on the online gambling market in the Garden State for more than seven years. One of its most successful products there is the casino gambling variant of the property trading board game Monopoly. The New Jersey watchdog did not specify whether this is Gamesys’ first breach of self-exclusion policies.
This Is Not the First Time Gamesys Gets Fined for Social Responsibility Failings
This is not the first instance of Gamesys being fined for social responsibility failings. The British gambling regulator, the UK Gambling Commission, penalized the London-listed company back in 2019 for a breach of money-laundering regulations and failure to prevent gambling-related harm. At the time, the company was heavily hit with a £1.2 million penalty for allowing three individuals to gamble with stolen funds.
The UK watchdog established Gamesys failed to prevent the three customers from playing despite the fact their behaviour clearly indicated a gambling problem. The operator reached a settlement with the regulator whereby it agreed to pay £460,472 to the victims who had their money stolen by the three problem gamblers.
Additionally, Gamesys had to pay another £690,000 in lieu, which went towards the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms. The firm also had to cover the costs the Gambling Commission incurred while investigating the violations.
Gamesys is currently in the process of changing ownership as it reached an acquisition agreement with Bally’s Corporation in April. The Rhode Island-based gaming company agreed to pay $2.7 billion for the transaction. Earlier this month, Gamesys announced it has seen an increase in earnings and revenue for the first half of this year, reporting a 16% rise in active monthly players. Its revenue in the UK market grew by 20% within this period.
- Author
Olivia Cole
