£1m fine for online operator ProgressPlay Limited
ProgressPlay, which runs 134 websites, will pay a £1m fine after a Gambling Commission compliance assessment revealed Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and social responsibility failings.
ProgressPlay has also been given a warning and is expected to undergo a third-party audit following the conclusion of the licence review to ensure it is effectively implementing anti-money laundering and social responsibility policies, procedures and controls.
The Licensee did not conduct an appropriate Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (MLTF) risk assessment and did not implement appropriate controls to minimise the risk of MLTF. It failed to take a sufficiently risk-based approach to AML and failed to sufficiently scrutinise transactions carried out during the course of customer relationships—including, where necessary, verifying the Source of Funds (SoF)—to ensure those transactions were consistent with the casino’s understanding of the customer, their business activities, and their risk profile.
Social responsibility failures included not having in place adequate systems and processes to effectively monitor customer activity at the point of account opening – this meant that early identification of any potential gambling related harm or the implementation of appropriate interventions was put at risk
It employed a customer interactions policy which failed to adequately address the elements of identify, act and evaluate set out in the Remote Customer Interaction section of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice and failed to implement adequate processes to understand the impact of individual interactions and actions on a customer’s behaviour, the continued risk of potential harm and therefore whether and, if so, what further action was needed.
This is the second occasion ProgressPlay has faced enforcement action – in 2022 the operator paid £175,718 for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.
John Pierce, Director of Enforcement and Intelligence, said: “Gambling businesses must have robust policies and procedures in place to protect consumers and ensure appropriate anti-money laundering controls are maintained. These measures must be actively implemented and regularly tested to confirm their effectiveness.
“This case marks the second time ProgressPlay Limited has been subject to enforcement action by the Gambling Commission. Its failure to meet AML obligations, along with the gaps identified in its social responsibility processes, are unacceptable.
“As part of the regulatory outcome, ProgressPlay is now required to undergo an independent third-party audit to assess the adequacy of its compliance arrangements across these areas.
“Operators should be in no doubt: repeated regulatory breaches will result in increasingly severe enforcement action. We urge all operators to examine the failings identified in this case and take proactive steps to strengthen their own systems and controls.”
ProgressPlay said it had marked a significant milestone in its commitment to regulatory excellence, welcoming the conclusion of the UK Gambling Commission’s comprehensive review process.
The journey since the Commission’s initial 2023 review has seen ProgressPlay undertake a root-and-branch reinvention of its compliance and AML infrastructure.
“Our philosophy has always been that regulatory challenges present opportunities to raise the bar,” said ProgressPlay CEO Itai Lowenstein. “Rather than simply remediating past findings, we’ve invested £1.5 million in player protection technology and better AML handling. This transformation goes far beyond compliance, it’s fundamentally changed how we understand and serve our customers.”
The company’s technological leap forward has been matched by organisational transformation. ProgressPlay operates with a dedicated Responsible Gambling and AML Team monitoring operations around the clock, supported by an independent Monitoring team. Every employee completes rigorous training through the ProgressLearn digital academy, ensuring protection protocols are deeply embedded in corporate culture.
As part of its ongoing commitment to industry leadership, ProgressPlay will undergo an independent audit of its enhanced controls while maintaining its £1 million regulatory settlement. The company views these measures as valuable validations of its transformed operations.
With its next-generation systems now setting the pace for player protection, ProgressPlay has demonstrated how regulatory engagement can drive meaningful innovation, benefiting both operators and customers alike in an increasingly responsible gaming landscape.
“True responsibility in our industry requires constant evolution,” Lowenstein added. “We’re proud to have turned this process into an opportunity to redefine excellence, and we look forward to sharing our innovations with partners at SBC Summit in Lisbon this September and ICE Barcelona 2026.”
