Warning

Buttigieg Paul

By James Hartley · Fact-checked by Mark Sullivan, Corporate Investigations Editor

The UK Gambling Commission issued a formal Warning to Buttigieg Paul, a Personal Management Licence holder, on 19 March 2024. The action followed a review which found he failed to ensure operators complied with anti-money laundering rules during his time as a director.

Buttigieg Paul enforcement action
UKGC enforcement action - March 2024

Summary

What This Means for Consumers

This action was taken against an individual manager, not the operators they worked for. Ladbrokes and other associated brands remain licensed to operate in the UK.

Full Details

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) issued a formal Warning to Buttigieg Paul, a Personal Management Licence (PML) holder, on 19 March 2024. The action came after a licence review found failings during his time as Director of Anti-money Laundering for two major operators, Ladbrokes Betting and Gaming Limited and LC International Limited. The breaches occurred between December 2019 and October 2020.

The review determined that Buttigieg Paul didn't take all reasonable steps to ensure the operators complied with anti-money laundering rules. This placed the companies in breach of several conditions, including rules for preventing money laundering and terrorist financing (Licence Condition 12.1.1) and measures for operators based in foreign jurisdictions (Licence Condition 12.1.2). The UKGC noted that he was cooperative and transparent during its investigation. A warning is a formal sanction recorded on a licence holder's record.

Key Findings

  • Issued with a formal Warning under section 117(1)(a) of the Gambling Act.
  • Failed to ensure compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) rules between December 2019 and October 2020.
  • The failures related to his role as Director of AML for Ladbrokes Betting and Gaming Limited and LC International Limited.
  • Breached conditions for preventing money laundering (Licence Condition 12.1.1) and measures for foreign-based operators (Licence Condition 12.1.2).

Timeline

Enforcement action timeline — Source: UKGC Regulatory Actions Register
Action Date 19 March 2024
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Written by

Regulatory Affairs Editor

LLB (Hons) in Law, University of Bristol. Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Regulation, University of Reading.

James has spent 12 years in gambling compliance and regulatory technology, previously working as Senior Compliance Analyst at a UK-based regulatory consultancy advising licensed operators on LCCP adherence.