AG Communications Limited
Account number
39483
Head office address
High Street 135,SLIEMA, SLM 1548, Malta
Regulatory actions
What is a sanction?
When a licence holder has not followed rules and regulations aimed at ensuring gambling is fair, safe and crime-free, we can take action and impose the following sanctions:
- Give the licensee a warning
- Add, remove, or amend a condition to the licence
- Suspend a licence
- Revoke a licence
- Impose a financial penalty
Decision date: 14 November 2022
Outcomes: Conditions attached to the licence, Financial penalty and Warning
Details of action
Following a review of the operating licence undertaken against AG Communications Limited (“the Licensee”), the Commission found that the Licensee breached:
- Paragraphs 1 and 2 of licence condition (LC) 12.1.1: Anti-money laundering - Prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing
In line with the Commission’s Licensing, compliance and enforcement policy statement, the Indicative sanctions guidance and the Statement of principles for determining financial penalties, the Commission has decided to:
- Impose a financial penalty of £237,600 under section 121(1) of the Act 2005
- Give the Licensee a warning under section 117(1)(a) of the Act
- Attach additional conditions to the Licensee’s operating licence under section 117(1)(b) of the Act requiring the Licensee to conduct risk based due diligence on the third parties it transacts with.
The Licensee co-operated with the Commission throughout the investigation and took corrective steps to address the identified failings.
What is a settlement?
Following an investigation into a licence holder we may enter into a regulatory settlement. These take place, for example, where the licence holder has been open and transparent with us and has shown a willingness to suggest actions that prevent the need for a more formal sanction.
Decision date: 4 February 2025
Outcomes: Payment in lieu of financial penalty, Divestment, Commission costs and Public statement
Details of action
A regulatory review under section 116 of the Act was commenced following a Compliance Assessment of the remote Operating Licence of AG Communications Limited (licence number 039483-R-319409-017).
The review found failings in AG Communications Limited’s Anti-Money Laundering / Counter Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF) and Social Responsibility (SR) controls.
AG Communications Limited failed to comply with the following requirements of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (the LCCP) between May 2023* and October 2024**.
- Paragraph 3 of Licence Condition (LC) 12.1.1 Anti-money laundering
- Paragraphs 1, 4, 7,9 and 11 of Social Responsibility Code Provision (SRCP) 3.4.3 relating to remote customer interaction.
- SRCP 3.9.1 (1) – Identification of Individual Customers – (Remote)
- LC 4.2.1 (1) – Disclosure to Customers
- LC 15.2.1 (15) – Reporting Key Events
- SRCP 4.2.6 (1) – Display of Rules
- SRCP 3.5.3 (1) - Self-exclusion – remote SR code
In line with our Statement of Principles for Licensing and Regulation, AG Communications Limited will make a payment in lieu of a financial penalty of £1,407,834. Details of this are set out under the heading Regulatory Settlement.
Further information about this case can be found on the Gambling Commission’s public statement, which can be found here: AG Communications Limited Public Statement
* With the exception of SRCP 3.5.3 (1) which commenced in October 2022 and concluded in May 2024
** The other breaches commenced on dates between May 2023 and November 2023 and concluded between December 2023 and October 2024