Aspire Global’s AG Communications has been slapped with a £1.4 million ($1.8 million) fine from the United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission for reportedly failing to step in and protect vulnerable players. The firm is said to have failed to comply with anti-money laundering regulations, which the commission called “wholly unacceptable.”
The commission said AG Communications, the company behind 58 gambling websites, did not have the right systems in place to stop people from losing huge amounts of money in a short time.
Gambling operator AG Communications Limited is to pay £1,407,834 after a Commission investigation revealed Social Responsibility (SR) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) failures.
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— Gambling Commission (@GamRegGB) March 4, 2025
One case they pointed to was a customer who lost £6,000 ($7,600) in just 48 hours, and the company only reached out after they had already hit the £5,000 ($6,400) daily loss limit. Another player lost £7,000 ($8,900) in just over four hours during the early morning hours because of a system error that should have blocked them from depositing more money but didn’t.
One customer even managed to open a significant number of gambling accounts despite having previously self-excluded.
On top of the social responsibility failures, the commission also called out the company for not meeting key anti-money laundering standards.
This isn’t the first time AG Communications has faced issues. In 2022, they had to pay £237,600 for similar anti-money laundering failures.
Gambling Commission issues ‘clear warning to all operators’ via Aspire Global fine
John Pierce, the Gambling Commission’s director of enforcement, said: “This case marks the second occasion that this operator has been subject to enforcement action. Its failure to uphold anti-money laundering standards, delays in necessary interventions, and deficiencies in social responsibility measures are wholly unacceptable.”
He continued: “Today’s outcome underscores the gravity of these breaches. It is essential that operators not only implement and maintain robust anti-money laundering policies, procedures, and controls but also act swiftly and decisively in response to any indications of suspicious activity.
“Effective social responsibility measures must be in place at all times to ensure that consumers identified as at risk receive timely and appropriate intervention.
“This case stands as a clear warning to all operators that repeated regulatory failings will result in increasingly stringent enforcement action.”
The company will pay the money to socially responsible causes as part of a settlement.
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