Warning

Dikov Valentin Bonchev

By James Hartley · Fact-checked by Dr. Sarah Chen, Research & Data Lead

The UK Gambling Commission issued a Warning to Dikov Valentin Bonchev, a Personal Management Licence (PML) holder, on 3 April 2024. The action was for compliance failures during his time as Head of Compliance for Blue Star Planet Limited.

Dikov Valentin Bonchev enforcement action
UKGC enforcement action - April 2024

Summary

What This Means for Consumers

This action is against an individual, not an operator, so it doesn't directly affect any gambling sites. It does show that the UKGC holds senior staff responsible for a company's compliance failures.

Full Details

The UK Gambling Commission took regulatory action against Dikov Valentin Bonchev, issuing him with an official Warning on 3 April 2024. This action relates to his responsibilities as a Personal Management Licence (PML) holder while he was the Head of Compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer for the operator Blue Star Planet Limited. A warning is a formal sanction that's recorded on an individual's licence history, but it isn't a financial penalty.

The Commission's review found that Dikov Valentin Bonchev didn't take reasonable steps to ensure the company he worked for followed its licence conditions. The failures covered several areas. These included rules for preventing money laundering (Licence Condition 12.1.1), requirements for customer interaction to prevent gambling harm (SRCP 3.4.1), and the need to display licensing information correctly (Licence Condition 8.1.1). The regulator did note that he was open and transparent during its engagement.

Key Findings

  • Received an official Warning under section 117(1)(a) of the Gambling Act 2005.
  • Action was finalised on 3 April 2024.
  • Failures occurred during his time as Head of Compliance at Blue Star Planet Limited.
  • Breaches involved anti-money laundering, social responsibility, and licence display rules.

Timeline

Enforcement action timeline — Source: UKGC Regulatory Actions Register
Action Date 3 April 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.