EveryMatrix Announces It’s Leaving UK Market After License Suspension
Casino operator EveryMatrix has announced it is leaving the UK white-label market following its license suspension.
The online casino operator, which owns sites such as PlayFrank and Fantasino, announced the news today, revealing that it has decided to leave the white-label market over the Gambling Commission’s decision last month to suspend the firm’s license in the jurisdiction.
According to EveryMatrix’s official statement, the firm said the decision was made at a “company level” and will be letting go of its licenses for Remote Betting and Casino gambling. However, the company’s UK B2B software provision license for Remote Gambling Software will remain active.
The operator, which has been in business since 2014, considers its white-label business to be “irreparably damaged” despite years of operating successfully and without problems. What’s more, the move comes amid recent efforts to prove its compliance to the Commission’s safety, security and social obligations.
In a statement, EveryMatrix CEO Ebbe Groes said: “We fully respect the UKGC’s decision of suspending our license and we acknowledge their wish for a substantially changed way of operating white label businesses in the future. We regret the impact this suspension has had on our loyal player, on our brands, and on our long-standing white label partners in [the] UK, but this business has now become unsalvageable.
“We will use this highly unfortunate event as positive as we can and we are keen on maintaining EveryMatrix’s leading role as a provider in B2B space, in the UK and globally. This is where our company has enjoyed tremendous growth in the past several years and we will now focus even harder on this.”
At the end of its press release, EveryMatrix adds that its “entirely committed” and has a focus to maximise business growth while continuing as a trusted software supplier in global and regulated jurisdictions. Unfortunately, it’s unclear when PlayFrank will completely shut down in the UK and what will happen to player accounts.
Gambling Regulation in the UK
The news comes as the UK Gambling Commission continues to tighten its regulation on online casinos to protect customers and those at risk. Earlier this month, it was reported that all gambling sites with a Gambling Commission license must sign up with self-exclusion service GamSTOP as part of a condition of the Commission’s licenses.
Last month, the Commission launched its 12-week consultation on the use of credit cards at online casinos with an intention to outright ban the payment method from being used. Shortly before that, the Commission announced new rules changes to better protect customers including those at risk of developing an addiction.
The UK Gambling Commission announced its decision to suspend EveryMatrix’s gambling license earlier this month. In its original announcement, the Commission cited section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005 which allows the regulatory body to suspend a gambling license and carry out a review of the firm for several reasons.