BGO Entertainment to Close all Operations

[News Hound]

BGO Entertainment Limited to close down all online operations on 31st December 2021.

Read the full article here: BGO Entertainment to Close all Operations - Casinomeister

 

[slot_zombie]

How can it go so wrong with a 5% house edge.

Commiserations to @Mark_BGO

 

[Spikie]

So they have just closed down completely ?

Maybe the old CEO left the company before the shit hit the fan , knowing storm clouds were approaching ??

 

[thr0b]

Sorry to hear this @Mark_BGO. The worst time. Hopefully you’ll land on your feet elsewhere.

 

[Mark_BGO]

Thanks guys. Been a hard year. We’re obviously doing what we should - paying player balances, affiliates and suppliers. Also staff. Lots of moving parts.

Was a great brand and opportunity. U.K. is so tough at the moment and it could get worse.

 

[Casinomeister]

Thanks guys. Been a hard year. We’re obviously doing what we should - paying player balances, affiliates and suppliers. Also staff. Lots of moving parts.

Was a great brand and opportunity. U.K. is so tough at the moment and it could get worse.

This is a real shocker, and man - what a shame because I know how stoked you were with your new albeit brief position.

I hope this is not a sign of the times with the UKGC trying to cull the smaller operators from the UK playing field.

 

[dunover]

Thanks guys. Been a hard year. We’re obviously doing what we should - paying player balances, affiliates and suppliers. Also staff. Lots of moving parts.

Was a great brand and opportunity. U.K. is so tough at the moment and it could get worse.

Yes, I am still owed a small amount which hasn't been paid as of yet but I guess you'll be clearing aff accounts in due course.

My main concern though is what this spells for the industry as a whole and it won't just be the UK in future but other countries like the Scandinavian ones that seem to think the UKGC is an example to be emulated and admired, re. Sweden right now and Denmark following closely.

My best wishes to @Mark_BGO and Karolina etc. I hope he is snapped up by a decent outfit as soon as, same to the rest of the team.

 

[KasinoKing]

I hope they can afford to pay me the 42 quid they owe me for the last 2 years...

On a serious note - what Dunover said.
Too many casinos & too many rules and regulations - only the biggest and strongest will survive

KK

 

[me_and_ed]

Verne Troyer is turning over in his resting place...….seriously shitty to all affected.

 

[mack341]

Received several emails from BGO that I needed to withdraw my balance, time was running out etc...It was 1p!


Edit; I used to play there a bit, at least once a month, until they brought in the charges then gradually went there less and less. With a few tweaks they could've been like a skyvegas [at that time, they've slipped as well now to just another place]

 

[shadow123]

Well at least the UKGC can enjoy the xmas party knowing half a dozen problem gamblers have been saved and can indulge in other
addictions,what does a few hundred jobs losses matter in the long run.
More delights to come in 2022.

 

[syntynyt]

Never understood the waste of money on that little bizzare guy(an actor?) and on Paris Hilton acting as brand ambassador. At the times when they were competing with PamperCasino in terms of service and quality, times when i left the ship.

 

[Webzcas]

Best of luck Mark in whatever you decide to do next. I am sure you won't be short of offers for your services.

 

[geordiecolin]

Best of luck Mark. I fear that this is just the start of a cull of very many casinos

 

[electronictonic]

Gambling is well and truly done in the UK, I said 6 years ago by the time the UKGC is finished fucking everything up all that will be left for the UK online will be the big bookmakers, could see it coming 6 years ago nevermind now and it will only get worse, and of course when they are the only place left in town to play they will all run on the shittiest RTP, not deposited in a few weeks now can't be bothered with all the rules and strangling and lowered rtp, VPN accessible crypto casinos will be seeing more business I bet, i'm sure they will have a £1 or £2 max bet next year and perhaps a £100 per week / month deposit limit.

 

[thr0b]

Gambling is well and truly done in the UK, I said 6 years ago by the time the UKGC is finished fucking everything up all that will be left for the UK online will be the big bookmakers, could see it coming 6 years ago nevermind now and it will only get worse, and of course when they are the only place left in town to play they will all run on the shittiest RTP, not deposited in a few weeks now can't be bothered with all the rules and strangling and lowered rtp, VPN accessible crypto casinos will be seeing more business I bet, i'm sure they will have a £1 or £2 max bet next year and perhaps a £100 per week / month deposit limit.

Now, to be fair here, we don't know what BGO is alleged to have done, only that the UKGC are investigating whether the owners are/were fit and proper to operate a casino. That suggests it's something more than the usual concerns they raise about casinos having poor customer protection/welfare checks. To me, it seems that it's not the UKGC being heavy-handed, rather they have a genuine and significant concern about the operation of the company.

And them surrendering/closing their Alderney operations suggests they have no appetite to go through the same stuff with another regulator, nor can that be blamed not he UKGC.

 

[Lemon]

BGOne

 

[Jono777]

Wishing @Mark_BGO all the best for the future and sorry this played out the way it did.

 

[Lemon]

Gambling is well and truly done in the UK, I said 6 years ago by the time the UKGC is finished fucking everything up all that will be left for the UK online will be the big bookmakers, could see it coming 6 years ago nevermind now and it will only get worse, and of course when they are the only place left in town to play they will all run on the shittiest RTP, not deposited in a few weeks now can't be bothered with all the rules and strangling and lowered rtp, VPN accessible crypto casinos will be seeing more business I bet, i'm sure they will have a £1 or £2 max bet next year and perhaps a £100 per week / month deposit limit.

I can see a lot of Tier 2, 3 and 4 casinos pulling out of the UK. The risk of falling foul of the UKGC inundates the reward. I can also see VS pulling out and shifting UK players over to Mr Vegas, which looks an inferior option.

The big betting chains will have it all sewn up for themselves and like fuck am I giving that pack of cunts my money

 

[Mark_BGO]

Wishing @Mark_BGO all the best for the future and sorry this played out the way it did.

Thanks Jon.

(For the record the below is my own personal opinion and not that of BGO. I also do not permit any of the below being quoted and/or used outside of CM without my permission).

For those speculating on the reason, all I can say is I wouldn’t work for anyone who didn’t act in an ethical way. Following my appointment the owners of BGO invested heavily in a strong compliance team, we implemented strict RG processes and rules but the GC were not happy with them.

When the results of the compliance assessment came in I was busy compiling a response indicating the bits I thought needed clarity, reminding them of improvements we had made following their feedback in the assessment itself and a couple of points that I didn’t agree with. Sadly the report was sent to the sanctions team at the same time as us and they pulled the trigger and suspended the licence just over an hour later before I had time to respond.

We had the option to appeal, but given the suspension has to be acted on immediately and an appeal could take 2-3 months, the reality would be that we wouldn’t have any players left.

The GC do a great job and I can appreciate that the “failings” were not a first for BGO hence their action. However I do think the huge changes that were made (the entire management team was changed and huge investment in personnel) should have been taken into account. I also have good intelligence that the “failings” are taking place at other casinos who have came through a GC assessment with a clean bill of health.

The U.K. is a tough market but I’m not giving up lol. Hopefully I can share news of my new adventure soon. Just hoping their history with the GC is clean and the commission don’t blame me personally .

Cheers
Mark

 

[shadow123]

Presume the UKGC compliance team are the judges and the sanctions team are the executioners then,
Must be an awful having them scrutinise you when you are honestly trying to do everything by the book.

 

[geordiecolin]

Presume the UKGC compliance team are the judges and the sanctions team are the executioners then,
Must be an awful having them scrutinise you when you are honestly trying to do everything by the book.

And who is pulling their strings?
Most EU casinos will melt away

 

[dunover]

We had the option to appeal, but given the suspension has to be acted on immediately and an appeal could take 2-3 months, the reality would be that we wouldn’t have any players left.

The U.K. is a tough market but I’m not giving up lol. Hopefully I can share news of my new adventure soon. Just hoping their history with the GC is clean and the commission don’t blame me personally .

Cheers
Mark

I can second that - Genesis (Cruise, Sloty, Pelaa etc) went through that exact same process. They appealed and had their license reinstated 2-3 months later. They were the group (as an affiliate) I had more players at than any other by a long way and afterwards there was literally a dribble of activity from near enough a thousand players I had recruited over 5 years, it nosedived off the edge. Picking up now a bit but the damage was done and about a year later account activity is one of my lowest.

The difference between them and BGO is that the UK is only one of their markets; they are quite big in many Geos so could afford the strategy to return and the costs of the setback.

 

[dunover]

Thanks guys. Been a hard year. We’re obviously doing what we should - paying player balances, affiliates and suppliers. Also staff. Lots of moving parts.

Was a great brand and opportunity. U.K. is so tough at the moment and it could get worse.

Nope. Players maybe, but not affs. I didn't have a huge amout owing, but never heard anything nor was I paid. And the aff account is now toast, goes 404.........

 

[Mark_BGO]

Nope. Players maybe, but not affs. I didn't have a huge amout owing, but never heard anything nor was I paid. And the aff account is now toast, goes 404.........

Not being a smartarse here but I’ve seen many responses from yourself and other respected moderators suggesting they should contact the rep before ranting publicly. Have you tried that? I haven’t received anything so apologies if it was lost it’s been a whirlwind of a few months.

The company is being wound down but we are paying debts unlike many others. As I mentioned above.

PM me with your affiliate ID please and I’ll check it out on Monday and I will do my best to get you paid before it’s all wound down.

Best wishes to you.

Mark