UKGC puts In Touch Games under review and suspends license

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the British gambling regulator, has suspended In Touch Games' right to operate in the country with immediate effect, and has initiated a review of the company’s license.

The company is behind a number of prominent brands and has been one of the most recognizable gambling companies in the industry with brands such as bonusboss.co.uk, mrspin.co.uk, casino.mfortune.co.uk, and a number of other websites.

This suspension impacts In Touch Games’ ability to accept new customer deposits, which will have an immediate bearing on its financial performance, with the regulator not yet clear on when the license may be reinstated and if.

In a statement released on its official website, the Gambling Commission said that it expected In Touch Games to ensure that consumers are aware of the company’s current predicament and treat players fairly.

This is not the first time In Touch Games has had run-ins with the regulator, as it was slapped with a £6.1m penalty at the beginning of the year. Previously, the company also suffered similar penalties of £2.2m in 2019 and then another one in 2021 to the amount of £3.4m.

The Gambling Commission has confirmed that the license suspension would in no way impact consumers' ability to access their accounts and withdraw funds from the properties that the company currently runs in the jurisdiction.

In Touch Games is currently under a review under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005, which is also expected to be reregulated in the coming months, as the United Kingdom is undertaking one of the most ambitious changes to its regulatory regime, the regulator has too been working to ensure that it carries out its duties in full and has been working on a number of penalty-related cases this year.

Other companies to have been hit with penalties this year include Star Sports which agreed to pay a £594,000 settlement and Betfred, which settled for £3.25m.

The UKGC has been criticized by some observers in the country as being too lenient on the gambling industry, but nothing in the regulator’s most recent behavior has indicated anything but a steely determination to act against offenders.

The exact outcome of the review is not yet known, and whether In Touch Games will face another stiff penalty will depend on the UKGC’s findings in the case.

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