Evolution to Pay £4.75m Settlement for Regulatory Breaches

Evolution Malta Holding Limited is to pay a £4.75 million settlement following a Gambling Commission investigation which discovered the company's games were being supplied to unlicensed operators accessible in Great Britain.

The regulatory probe identified that Evolution's casino games were present on a total of six unlicensed websites. According to the Commission, these sites received large volumes of visits from consumers in the UK between December 2023 and November 2024. The investigation concluded that the supplier had breached multiple conditions of its licence.

AML and Supply Chain Failings

The Commission determined that Evolution's risk assessment for money laundering and terrorist financing was not effective enough. It failed to identify that two operators with which it conducted business were supplying its games to consumers in Great Britain without holding the required Commission licence.

Further breaches included a failure to establish and maintain effective policies, procedures, and controls necessary to prevent its games from being made available in the GB market by unlicensed operators. The company was also found not to have complied with customer due diligence requirements.

Evolution's money laundering risk assessment was outdated and failed to adequately consider the risk of its games being made available through unlicensed operators.

The regulator stated that the failings uncovered during its investigation and testing were serious enough for it to have considered suspending Evolution's licence. The case highlights the Commission's focus on the responsibilities of B2B suppliers in maintaining the integrity of the licensed market.

Swift Remedial Action

In its public statement, the Commission acknowledged that Evolution Malta Holding Limited responded swiftly and comprehensively once the issues were identified. The company took immediate action to strengthen its controls and address the regulator's concerns.

Following the company's remedial actions, subsequent testing conducted by the Gambling Commission has not identified any further instances of concern regarding Evolution's supply chain into the British market. The £4.75 million payment will be made as part of a regulatory settlement.