The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) has imposed a fine of £3.9 million (approximately $5.32 million) on gaming provider Celton Manx and revoked its license due to a series of systemic failures in anti-money laundering compliance.
Since the investigation began in October 2024, the GSC found that Celton Manx had numerous violations of anti-money laundering regulations, including weak customer monitoring, lack of enhanced due diligence, inadequate identity verification, and non-standard record keeping. The regulatory body noted that these issues were not only widespread but also had "systemic" characteristics.
Following the investigation results, the GSC decided to revoke its license on May 29, 2025, and issued a fine of £5.6 million. However, because Celton Manx admitted to the violations and cooperated with the investigation, the final fine was reduced by 30% to £3.9 million. The regulatory authority stated: "This civil penalty fully reflects the severity of the violations and the reality of the associated risks."
It is noteworthy that Celton Manx admitted to significant flaws in its operations and governance system at the beginning of the investigation and actively engaged in settlement negotiations with the regulatory body to quickly correct the issues.
This penalty occurred shortly after GSC underwent internal senior management adjustments. In January 2025, GSC appointed Mark Rutherford as the new CEO, followed by the appointment of new deputy CEOs and a chairman in April and May. Additionally, in May, GSC announced that it would strengthen its information-sharing mechanisms to enhance regulatory efficiency and industry transparency.
This case highlights the Isle of Man's "zero tolerance" attitude towards compliance failures and marks its ongoing efforts to combat financial risks.
