UKGC Opens Probe into 1xBet UK Brand on Reported Regulatory Breaches

• UKGC launches probe into 1xBet’s UK operations
• The Sunday Times reports on several issues with the company
• 1xBet’s spokesperson reaches out to reassure authorites that it will conduct an internal investigation of the issue

1xBet’s UK website has been suspended since Friday, August 9, amid a UK Gambling Commission investigation looking into Sunday Times report over regualtory breaches.

1xBet’s UK Website Suspended Amid Times Investigation

Following a Sunday Times investigation and a UKGC investigation, 1xBet’s UK-facing website has been suspended. The shut-down began on Friday, August 9, and the website still isn’t avaiable at the time of reporting.

In their investigation published on the online website under “Premier League clubs accused over links with betting firm,” staff writers Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Lucy Bacon reported that English Premier League football clubs, to name Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have been “whitewashing the reputation of one of the world’s most controversial betting firms.”

The report coincides with the UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) own probe into 1xBet. 1XBet has been operating in the United Kingdom in collaboration with FSB Tech. In light of the probe, FSB Tech has hurried up to come with a statement that the company was revising its ties with 1xBet whereas UK gamers had no reason to worry about their account balances.

Where Did 1xBet Go Wrong, Allgedly?

In their report, Thomas and Bacon highlighted such regulatory failures as offering wagers on cock fights contests as well as under-19s athletics events. Another reported failure was 1xBet’s ads runing across video file-sharing services, which the UKGC outlawed back in 2016.

The biggest transgression to date, based on the Times report, could be 1xBet’s reported use of topless live dealers at a private studio. Similarly, the brand allegedly used cartoons depicting nude females that linked back to the main website in a bid to generate traffic.

1xBet Addresses the Case

1xBet spoke to the Times explaining that the reported breaches of regulatory measures were most likely the result of affiliated partners. In light of this, 1xBet vowed to launch immediate investigation that would seek to establish how the company’s intellectual assets may have been misused. There have similarly been reports of 1xBet’s logo appearing at websites promoting illegal content.

While the operator began as a Russia-facing company, 1xBet has quickly expanded its clout, and specifically in 2019. Re-launching with a Cyprus and Curacao licenses, 1xBet has managed to add a lot of high-profile teams from the English Premier League (EPL).

GamblingNews recently spoke to 1xBet spokesperson Alex Sommers, discussing the string of partnerships that has landed the brand such prominence in recent years. The only recent transgression we were able to find out was a €400,000 fine imposed on the brand by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gaming authority.

1xBet is also featured on Russia’s payment processors blacklist, a part of a broader move to clamp down on foreign operators.