Britain’s Gambling Commission has suspended the operating licence of peer-to-peer betting app Lebom.
Lebom was founded in 2019 and recently raised over £350,000 in crowdfunding to grow the business, which cites responsibility as a core pillar of the brand.
The Gambling Commission suspended Lebom’s operating licence on Thursday due to the company’s failure to implement the GAMSTOP self-exclusion programme, which was made mandatory for all online gambling operators in 2020.
“GAMSTOP provides a crucial service for people who feel they are suffering gambling harm,” said Kay Roberts, executive director of operations at the Gambling Commission. “It is simply unacceptable for any online operator to fail to integrate with the scheme.”
In addition to immediately suspending Lebom’s licence, the Gambling Commission has launched a review of the licence under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005.
The Commission also reminded the operator that consumers should be allowed to continue accessing their accounts and withdrawing funds during the suspension period, and that they should be kept fully informed of any developments which impact them.
The suspension will remain in place until the Commission is satisfied that the operator has fully integrated GAMSTOP.