British Gambling Commission suspends Spribe’s software licence
The British regulator says Spribe OÜ was hosting casino games not covered by the scope of its Gambling Commission licence.
UK.- The British Gambling Commission has announced that it has suspended the gaming software licence of Spribe OÜ (operating licence no 057302-R-333085-003) while it carries out a review under section 118(2) of the Gambling Act 2005. The suspension applies immediately.
The regulator said the suspension of the software licence was necessary on grounds of suitability, due to alleged serious non-compliance with the hosting requirements in its licensing framework. It said it had clearly communicated to the operator that all hosting activity must stop immediately unless and until a suitable hosting licence is obtained.
The commission noted that under Section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005, it is a criminal offence to provide facilities for gambling in Great Britain without a licence from the Gambling Commission, unless a specific exemption applies.
“The Gambling Commission takes a robust approach to unlicensed gambling activity and always expects the highest standards of compliance and integrity from its licensees,” the regulator said. “We expect the Licensee to promptly notify any parties impacted by service disruptions and to ensure that all operations are halted in line with the conditions of their operating licence until further notice.”
Poland-based Spribe, which is known for its crash game Aviator, has had a British gambling software licence since December 2020. It is not accused of operating illegal gambling but of conducting B2B activity not covered under the scope of its licence by hosting online casino games.
Spribe also has licences in Malta and Gibraltar as well as in various other jurisdictions. Aviator is offered by several major British gambling operators, such as 888casino, Paddy Power and BetVictor. The supplier has been embroiled in a legal dispute with Aviator LLC over the copyright for the Aviator game and branding.
