GC suspends BresBet and Bet St George licences, six months after latter entered UK market

The Gambling Commission has suspended the operating licences of two online betting operators, BresBet Ltd and Bet St George Ltd, citing suspected failures in social responsibility protocols and anti-money laundering (AML) controls. The suspensions took immediate effect on 28 August 2026.

The regulatory action follows formal licence reviews initiated under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005, prompted by initial enquiries that flagged potential regulatory shortcomings at BresBet, which runs bresbet.com, and Bet St George, which operates betstgeorge.com.

According to the Commission’s statement, the suspensions will remain in place until the operators address and rectify the identified compliance issues to the regulator’s satisfaction. Both operators have been instructed to continue treating customers fairly during the suspension period, with customers retaining access to their accounts and the ability to withdraw funds.

Bet St George Suspended Six Months After Launch

BresBet has been an established company operating in the UK since 2021. Bet St George, meanwhile, first launched in the UK earlier this year, making its licence suspension particularly notable just six months after market entry.

Notably, Nic Brereton serves as director for both brands. Speaking in March, Brereton acknowledged the challenging outlook for the UK sector amid incoming tax hikes, though he highlighted opportunities for new approaches in the market.

Although listed as separate private companies, both share an office block and, until recently, a director. Sarah Laycock, who had been the managing director for BresBet since 2025, resigned earlier this month. Laycock also resigned from Bet St George on the same day. Brereton resigned from BresBet in 2021 but was reappointed in 2023.

AML Failings Remain Industry-Wide Concern

Last month, the GC published its anti-money laundering and terrorist financing report revealing that operator-side failings remained a major contributor to ML/TF risk. Across multiple subsectors, the Commission noted deficient AML/CTF policies and controls as well as poorly trained personnel.

The report also noted inadequate or improperly set AML thresholds and weak monitoring of linked or duplicate accounts. A couple of weeks ago, QuinnBet was ordered to pay £609,104 ($830,501) also due to AML failings.

Industry Calls for Stronger Enforcement Action

Industry observers have been critical of the Commission’s tendency to introduce fines or regulatory settlements following compliance failures. Terry White, a safer gambling advocate and former betting shop manager, recently criticised the GC for only fining and not suspending companies breaching AML policies.

“When a betting shop or organisation is told that they can’t trade in the UK or globally, for let’s say a month, that’ll hurt them, and they’ll never do it again,” White said. “But they’ll pay [a fine] all day long. They’re not bothered. It’s the price of doing business.”

White added that companies “don’t care” about fines because “they make more than that in what they actually do,” arguing that licence revocation or suspension would prove more effective than financial penalties alone.

The suspensions represent a shift toward more immediate enforcement action, potentially signalling a harder regulatory stance on AML and social responsibility compliance failures in the UK market.