The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission has issued a £3.9 million civil penalty to Celton Manx after an investigation into serious breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules. They described the failings as significant and systemic across the operator’s compliance framework. 

Celton Manx held an Isle of Man licence from August 2008 until May 2025, when it voluntarily surrendered the licence. Before this, the GSC initiated an AML/CTF inspection that uncovered multiple violations of the Gambling Act 2018.

Widespread Compliance Failures

The Commission’s investigation revealed that Celton Manx didn’t ensure that its network partners applied equivalent AML and CTF controls. The company lacked proper monitoring for customers within its network services model and was unable to provide evidence of risk assessments for money laundering and terrorist financing. 

Additionally, Celton Manx did not conduct thorough due diligence on high-risk players and failed to maintain accurate records. Compliance testing was infrequent, and the company delayed submitting key information to the Isle of Man Financial Intelligence Unit on multiple occasions.

Concerns were raised about the competency of the firm’s reporting and compliance officers, both found lacking in expertise to perform their duties. Also, staff training programs were flagged for failing to meet legal standards.

Penalty Reduced After Cooperation

While the GSC initially set the fine at £5.6 million, it reduced the amount by 30 percent to £3.9 million in recognition of Celton Manx’s admission of failings and willingness to cooperate. The company stated that its own internal review did not uncover any evidence of money laundering or harm to customers. 

However, the GSC maintained that the scale and nature of the failings posed a serious risk and required enforcement action. “The Code sets out the preventative measures necessary to ensure, to the greatest degree possible, that a gambling operator’s products, systems and services are not exploited for criminal purposes,” the Gambling Supervision Commission said. “Any business unable to identify, measure and mitigate risk poses an unacceptable threat.”

SK IOM Also Sanctioned

Separately, the GSC fined operator SK IOM £70,000 on 3 July for similar breaches, including poor compliance monitoring and inadequate financial record-keeping. Like Celton Manx, SK IOM admitted the failings and cooperated fully with the Commission. The original £100,000 fine was also reduced by 30 percent following its collaboration with the regulator. 

The Gambling Supervision Commission highlighted the importance of proactive compliance frameworks for operators. The body stated that they must always assess for vulnerabilities and implement corrective actions quickly.