Maple Ventures Pays £360k for AML & SR Breaches
Gambling Commission investigation finds failings in player protection and anti-money laundering controls at the online operator.
Online gambling operator Maple International Ventures Limited will pay £360,000 after a UKGC investigation found serious anti-money laundering and social responsibility failings. The breaches included ineffective checks for duplicate accounts and inadequate monitoring for signs of gambling harm.
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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced that Maple International Ventures Limited will make a payment of £360,000 following a regulatory review that uncovered significant failings in its anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility (SR) controls.
The public statement, published on 17 September 2025, details breaches that occurred between June 2023 and October 2024, which left the operator vulnerable to financial crime and failed to adequately protect customers from gambling-related harm.
Anti-Money Laundering and Player Protection Failures
The investigation, which began after a compliance assessment in June 2024, identified breaches of Licence Condition 12.1.1 (prevention of money laundering) and Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.4.3 (customer interaction).
Key failings included:
- Inadequate Risk Assessment: The operator's AML risk assessment was deemed inappropriate, as it omitted key risks such as organised crime gangs and mule accounts. It also failed to incorporate guidance from the Commission.
- Ineffective Account Controls: The systems designed to detect duplicate or linked accounts were not always effective. In one instance, a customer evaded automated checks by simply switching the order of their first and last names, allowing them to make significant deposits and losses before being identified.
- Delayed Action on Risks: The UKGC found there were time delays between an AML risk being identified and action being taken. This meant customers could continue to transact beyond financial thresholds set for Customer Due Diligence checks.
- Weak Safer Gambling Monitoring: The operator's controls were found to be inadequate for identifying potential indicators of harm, such as gambling 'binges', sudden spikes in spend, extensive overnight play, and high-staking immediately following a large win.
- Lack of Automated Protection: Maple International Ventures had not clearly defined what it considered to be strong indicators of harm and had no automated processes in place to act on them in a timely manner, a key requirement for protecting vulnerable players.
Background to the Ruling
The regulatory action against Maple International Ventures Limited followed a standard compliance assessment by the UKGC. In its decision, the Commission noted several mitigating factors, including the operator's previously unblemished regulatory history, its full cooperation with the investigation, and its swift implementation of an action plan to remedy the failings.
However, the UKGC also cited aggravating factors, stating that the operator was aware of some issues before the assessment began but only implemented an effective fix after regulatory intervention.
Implications for Customers
The identified weaknesses meant that some customers were not sufficiently protected from the risks of gambling harm. The system's vulnerabilities also exposed the business to potential use by criminals for money laundering purposes, although the UKGC found no direct evidence of criminal spend during its review.
The £360,000 payment is part of a regulatory settlement and is being made in lieu of a formal financial penalty. It includes a £50,000 divestment, with the total sum being directed to socially responsible causes. The operator has also agreed to pay the Commission’s costs for the investigation.