Denmark’s gaming regulator Spillemyndigheden has reprimanded Unibet over an alleged breach of money laundering regulations.
According to the regulator, between December 2016 and December 2018 Unibet, a subsidiary of the Kindred Group, allowed a customer to deposit DKK1.4 million, ($212,527) into his account without Unibet establishing that the funds were not derived from criminal activity.
This happened even though several years earlier Unibet had noted that the player, who hadn’t played for some time, would require monitoring if he became active again.
After December 2018 Unibet finally requested proof of the funds’ origin. The documentation showed that the player was gambling beyond his means. Nevertheless Unibet allowed him to deposit another DKK1.8 million until April 2020, when his account was terminated.
This violated several sections of the Danish Money Laundering Act, said the regulator, which ordered Kindred and Unibet to notify Denmark’s Money Laundering Secretariat, which is under the State Prosecutor for Serious Economic Crime.
According to the regulator, “The order on notification is given because Unibet in the same case has omitted to notify the Money Laundering Secretariat, although they already in 2015 had a suspicion which was never dismissed.” It continued, “Since Unibet has not yet notified the Money Laundering Secretariat, the breach still exists and consequently, Unibet has received an order to correct the situation by making a report.”
Unibet said it would do so within Spillemyndighede’s two-week deadline and admitted its violation. The provider has committed to improving its AML framework. A spokesman said, “We are taking necessary precautions to ensure we remain compliant with AML regulations and maintain our high standards on consumer protection.”
