🎲 Merkur Slots UK Limited

£95,450 fine for Merkur Slots UK Limited +

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13 February 2025 +

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A gambling business will pay a £95,450 fine for social responsibility failings at one of its adult gaming centres. +

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Merkur Slots UK Limited will pay the money after a Commission investigation into their treatment of a customer who lost £1,981 between 1 and 3 November 2023 at its premises in Stockport. +

Investigations revealed the operator failed to interact with the customer when they gambled from 1.50pm to 6.43pm on 1 November, and between 1.28pm on 2 November and 00.57am on 3 November. +

This breached the Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) which states that premises-based businesses must interact with customers in a way which minimises the risk of customers experiencing harms associated with gambling. +

The LCCP also sets out that this must include identifying customers who may be at risk of or experiencing harms associated with gambling and interacting with customers who may be at risk of or experiencing harms associated with gambling. +

Andrew Rhodes, Commission CEO, said: “This was a clearcut case of an operator failing to follow rules aimed at keeping consumers safe from harm. +

“In recent years there have been a number of cases of online gambling businesses failing to meet their social responsibility obligations - but this investigation shows that land-based operators also need to make sure they are minimising the risk to customers experiencing harms associated with gambling. +

“All operators should make sure that not only do they have policies and procedures aimed at preventing harm in place, but also that staff are effectively trained to follow and implement them.” +

Read Merkur Slots UK Limited full penalty. +

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Note to editors +

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Journalists can contact our press office on 0121

Following an investigation outside of a licence review, the Gambling Commission (“the Commission”) found that Merkur Slots UK Limited (“the Licensee”) breached: Social Responsibility Code Provision (“SRCP”) 3.4.1 (1) (a) and (b) – Premises-based customer interaction The failure to comply with a SRCP is a breach of a licence condition by virtue of section 82(1) of the Gambling Act 2005 (“the Act”). In line with the Commission’s Licensing, compliance and enforcement policy statement and the Statement of principles for determining financial penalties, the Commission has decided to impose a financial penalty of £95,450 under section 121(1) of the Act. Commission Officials acknowledge that the Licensee has co-operated with the Commission throughout the investigation. The Commission also notes the Licensee had, and continues to have, policies and procedures in place regarding SRCP 3.4.1, and that the failure was due to premises staff not implementing the policies and procedures effectively. The Licensee has taken remedial action to address this issue.