In Touch Games fined by the Gambling Commission

[News Hound]

In Touch Games becomes the latest UKGC licensee to be fined for identified social responsibility and anti money laundering failures

Read the full article here: In Touch Games fined by the Gambling Commission - Casinomeister

 

[Webzcas]

This has hit the main stream media here in the UK this morning. Not watched any of the news channels or had the radio on, but did pop up as a 'Breaking News' notification on the Sky News app on my phone.

Maybe I am being cynical, but why would an operator not sort their house in order, if in the past they also had been subjected to hefty fines? Part of me thinks the UKGC wants to take the cream off the top of the milk.

I mean, their other actions such as banning autoplay, SoW pain beyond belief and the such like is driving UK players to play at offshore unlicensed operators.

My spidersense is off kilter on this one and without delving into the details of the investigation, I am inclined to feel a tad sorry for In Touch Games here.

 

[L&L-Jan]

I am inclined to feel a tad sorry for In Touch Games here.

And skywind group :

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[interlog]

• Accepting a customer’s word that they earned £6,000 a month without verifying this information after the customer account was flagged due to customer spend and gambling during unsociable hours.

Get the first bit about the £6,000 but so what if somebody spins the slots at 2AM in the morning? When I used to do night shifts and during my rest days, I stayed on night mode and my nights were like somebody elses days.

In a 24hr society, surely there are no unsociable hours?

 

[satchnz]

Find a reasonable crypto casino (there are some out there) and get comfortable playing at it.

The UKGC can eat a bag of dic…..tionaries.

 

[Mr_Slot5]

• Accepting a customer’s word that they earned £6,000 a month without verifying this information after the customer account was flagged due to customer spend and gambling during unsociable hours.

Get the first bit about the £6,000 but so what if somebody spins the slots at 2AM in the morning? When I used to do night shifts and during my rest days, I stayed on night mode and my nights were like somebody elses days.

In a 24hr society, surely there are no unsociable hours?

Yeah, when I play I mostly play at night due to pretty much the same thing…late shifts.

Not sure what tree the UKGC are barking up with that one, but whatever tree it is it’s the wrong one.

 

[L&L-Jan]

Yeah, when I play I mostly play at night due to pretty much the same thing…late shifts.

Not sure what tree the UKGC are barking up with that one, but whatever tree it is it’s the wrong one.

The problem i assume that occured here is that the operator was not able to answer simple questions. Like: Why does this customer play at night? Or, any idea why the customer is only active during the night?

If you dont have the answers ready, it proves lack of interaction with the players.

 

[brianmon]

There's a site I used to play at - SportNation. Which only allows 1 hour's play between midnight and 8am.
They accept a deposit and allow you to play. But once an hour is up, you get logged out and after logging back in, you'd find that none of the games would work

 

[satchnz]

The problem i assume that occured here is that the operator was not able to answer simple questions. Like: Why does this customer play at night? Or, any idea why the customer is only active during the night?

If you dont have the answers ready, it proves lack of interaction with the players.

To be honest (and putting the amounts being bet to the side for a moment), if I wanted to play during the middle of the night it’s no business of a casino to know why. As @justdoit said in another thread, if a casino doesn’t want players to play “out of hours” then close the damn site. Simple.

If I was also wagering amounts that triggered SOW and AML procedures, then the casino should only focus on that. Time of day is irrelevant. People can be addicts and also work shift work…

 

[L&L-Jan]

if I wanted to play during the middle of the night it’s no business of a casino to know why

well given it is a risk indicator its our business for sure from the duty of care. And whats the problem to simply say: why you play at those hours, give the casino the chance to store the information, so that during an assesment they have the answer for the UKGC.

 

[dunover]

There's a site I used to play at - SportNation. Which only allows 1 hour's play between midnight and 8am.
They accept a deposit and allow you to play. But once an hour is up, you get logged out and after logging back in, you'd find that none of the games would work

But if you proved in a short video your mum had read you a bedtime story and you'd had a cup of Horlick's you'd be allowed 90 minutes. Be fair, it wasn't that bad!

 

[justdoit]

To be honest (and putting the amounts being bet to the side for a moment), if I wanted to play during the middle of the night it’s no business of a casino to know why. As @justdoit said in another thread, if a casino doesn’t want players to play “out of hours” then close the damn site. Simple.

If I was also wagering amounts that triggered SOW and AML procedures, then the casino should only focus on that. Time of day is irrelevant. People can be addicts and also work shift work…

I played most of the time 5am for like 45mins I wake up early to work, I will understand if i play all night yes could be a risk, but I dont see any problem making deposit 5am and play for 45mins...some casinos they just to scared from UKGC

 

[satchnz]

well given it is a risk indicator its our business for sure from the duty of care. And whats the problem to simply say: why you play at those hours, give the casino the chance to store the information, so that during an assesment they have the answer for the UKGC.

If it’s such a big risk then why are these sites open overnight??

Really what is the difference if I work 9am-5pm and play 6pm-10pm vs working 4pm-midnight and play 1am-5am?

 

[L&L-Jan]

If it’s such a big risk then why are these sites open overnight??

Really what is the difference if I work 9am-5pm and play 6pm-10pm vs working 4pm-midnight and play 1am-5am?

seriously there is no problem with that, but given that in general midnight hours are a risk factor, whats the problem to answer the question when a casino asks you why? Casinos who do ask, do care about you, keep that in mind

 

[shadow123]

Sorry Jan but if there were no UKGC regulators happily waiting to fine you, would it ever enter your head to ask a customer why they
are playing at 4am ?

 

[justdoit]

Sorry Jan but if there were no UKGC regulators happily waiting to fine you, would it ever enter your head to ask a customer why they
are playing at 4am ?

they never ask before like 3-4 years ago they dont even care how much you lose, like 5-6 years ago I made £20k deposit and play almost 3 days on and off, 888 casino they never even ask me way you playing so long or making so many deposit... p.s not sure way other casinos they never ask for it like VS or Pokerstars

 

[Mr_Slot5]

It’s complete horse shit. It cannot be an indicator of potential harm in isolation. In terms of order of indicators, playing at night would be far down the list. It would only become a potential indicator where other indicators are present. Essentially an auxiliary indicator.

Any licensing authority are overreaching if they’re expecting operators to account for every possible nuance of an individual’s play. Simple as that really.

 

[BillyGoldblum]

seriously there is no problem with that, but given that in general midnight hours are a risk factor, whats the problem to answer the question when a casino asks you why? Casinos who do ask, do care about you, keep that in mind

Because we already have wives. We dont need a casino acting like a 2nd one.

 

[shadow123]

Dont know what time land based casinos close nowdays, sure it was into the early hours last time I went, according to the UKGC,s way of thinking, the staff shoud be walking round players asking why they are playing so late, the obvious answer being because you are open.
This is one fucked up world

 

[satchnz]

seriously there is no problem with that, but given that in general midnight hours are a risk factor, whats the problem to answer the question when a casino asks you why? Casinos who do ask, do care about you, keep that in mind

There are a lot of problems with it. SOW and AML (within reason) should be the only reasons players are questioned about their play. Why a player keeps a different schedule to that which is perceived as the social norm is none of a casino’s business. It really is quite simple.

You are also kidding yourself that a casino cares about the player. They care about regulators imposing large fines on them based on ambiguous and impractical regulations. What company is happy to drive away business unless they absolutely have to?

You also haven’t answered my question as to why online casinos are open overnight if playing at these times is seen as such a big risk?

 

[goatwack]

Casinos only take a keen interest because they fear fines, nothing more. They care because they have to. They'd let players gamble away the hours merrily all day every day & twice on Sundays, and not care if you blew the mortgage payment that week, and that's the facts.

And yet even then they can't find the common practices among gamblers, because it's fairly unique in that sense. The entire experience is different for everyone, and with mobile gaming thrown into the equation, pretty much omnipresent.

Though if looking at gambling as a whole, I'd imagine it's busiest 'evening onwards', leading into the early hours. Clearly at b & m casinos, but online too? Not to mention a great time to get some peace and quiet and immerse oneself in the games!

The notion that casinos themselves view those as unsociable hours is absurd of course, and goes against common sense. I'd wager that spinning furiously during work/ commuting/ day task hours is by far the more unconventional. But I won't be holding my breath for casinos to start prohibiting 'sociable' players during the day and rationing their play time

 

[justdoit]

Dont know what time land based casinos close nowdays, sure it was into the early hours last time I went, according to the UKGC,s way of thinking, the staff shoud be walking round players asking why they are playing so late, the obvious answer being because you are open.
This is one fucked up world

the one i go is 24hrs open

 

[satchnz]

It’s a bit disappointing that the industry rep who was here defending this intrusive practice of online casinos has now gone silent after some prickly questions were posed to him. But that unfortunately shows the poor state the industry is in which has been fostered through fears of large fines by the regulators.

 

[L&L-Jan]

ow im here, shoot

 

[L&L-Jan]

Sorry Jan but if there were no UKGC regulators happily waiting to fine you, would it ever enter your head to ask a customer why they
are playing at 4am ?

i wouldn't no, but i'm pretty sure our RG agents would, even without regulations.