Rank Group casino operators to pay £5m for UK regulatory failures

Three casino operators owned by Rank Group PLC will pay £5 million following an investigation by the UK Gambling Commission into anti-money laundering (AML) and safer gambling failures. The enforcement action involves Grosvenor Casinos Limited, Grosvenor Casinos (GC) Limited, and Gaming Group Limited, which collectively manage 51 casinos across Great Britain.

The Commission identified several AML weaknesses, including a failure to update corporate policies following 2020 regulatory changes. Investigators found inconsistent treatment of high-risk customers, unclear risk-assessment procedures, and insufficient scrutiny of high-risk sources of funds. Additionally, the operators failed to perform enhanced customer due diligence as required by their own internal policies.

Regarding social responsibility, the investigation highlighted significant failures in intervening with customers showing signs of gambling harm. Specific instances included a customer losing £50,000 without staff interaction and another customer losing approximately £250,000 within 12 days after a large win without any recorded safer gambling interventions. In one case, a customer lost £25,000 after returning from self-exclusion before staff engaged with them.

In addition to the financial penalty, which will be directed to the UK Government’s Consolidated Fund, the three operators are required to undergo an independent third-party audit to ensure their compliance policies and controls are being effectively implemented.