UKGC Suspends EveryMatrix, White-Label Sites Knocked Offline
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) has suspended the license of EveryMatrix Software Limited, a company that supplies gambling-platform services for roughly three dozen clients, many of which serve UK gamblers. As a result, numerous white-label gambling “skins” accepting UK punters have been knocked offline while the situation undergoes corrective action.
Though the UKGC offered few details about the EveryMatrix suspension, it described the situation as “compliance activity which included examining [EveryMatrix’s] customer interaction framework.” Deciphered, it appears that on behalf of its white-label clients, EveryMatrix had been offering less-than-robust services in areas of interest and concern to the Gambling Commission, likely including measures to curtail problem and addictive gamblers. The suspension, which went into effect immediately, implies that EveryMatrix bears the responsibility for providing such services under the framework of its white-label platform.
“The Commission has determined to suspend the above operating licence insofar as it pertains to the operator’s ability to offer remote facilities for real event betting other than pool betting or betting on virtual events, and to operate a remote casino,” the UKGC stated. However, the Commission stated that EveryMatrix’s other business of “manufacturing, supplying, installing or adapting gambling software” can continue uninterrupted.
Sites known to be affected by the suspension, and knocked offline in the UK due to its implementation, include PWR.bet, Bookee, Fantasino, PlayFrank, SportingIndex.com, WestCasino.com, Dragonara Online, Jetbull and MrWin.com. PWR.bet was the first of the affected sites to acknowledge the service interruption, sending a brief message to its customers: “Please be informed that the UK license of EveryMatrix Ltd., PWR.bet’s service operator, has been suspended due to issues with handling possible addictive players. Due to this, PWR.bet’s services will be unavailable to UK players in the short term.”
EveryMatrix acknowledged the suspension in its own statement, which again glossed over some of the core issues. The company offered this on Friday:
Following a Compliance Assessment of the EveryMatrix B2C activity in the UK, the UK Gambling Commission raised concerns related to how the company manages the customer interactions. This led to a suspension of the EveryMatrix’s B2C licenses until the company can demonstrate to UKGC that it has taken steps to be fully compliant with its social responsibility obligations.
EveryMatrix sees this license review as an opportunity to further strengthen its compliance processes and procedures. The company is taking the UKGC’s concerns extremely seriously and has already taken swift and effective actions to address the Gambling Commission’s concerns sufficiently.
EveryMatrix has fully cooperated with the UKGC throughout the license review and has communicated all the steps and actions it has taken to meet its social responsibility obligations. EveryMatrix is hopeful that the suspension will be lifted shortly.
The suspension is based on a general evaluation of EveryMatrix procedures rather than specific cases of player complaints. EveryMatrix remains committed to providing a fair and safe experience to its players, and all affected players can access their accounts and withdraw any funds held there at any time during the suspension period.
The suspension is not related to failing a technical audit of the software, and as such, the B2B license in UK has not been suspended. The B2B license remains active, and the company continues to provide gambling software to UK licensed operators.
There is no timetable as to when affected customers and EveryMatrix’s white-label partners will be able to resume business as usual.
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