LeoVegas cuts UK affiliate programme to “small number” of partners

LeoVegas has announced it is cutting ties with many of its affiliate partners in the UK in an effort to comply with the UK Gambling Commission’s tightening standards around advertising and consumer protections.

The Swedish operator posted an update on it affiliate website yesterday, saying it would continue to work only with a “small number of affiliates” who could meet stringent compliance standards.

LeoVegas said the decision was made after consultation with the UKGC and in light of the regulator’s recent push for consumer protection.

Earlier today for instance, the Gambling Commission hit Broadway Gaming with a £100,000 penalty package for advertising failings, which stemmed from affiliate activity.

“It is clear that these compliance requirements are not easily met for some affiliates,” LeoVegas said in a statement.

“Recent announcements from UKGC and guidance from the CMA delivered at the Raising Standards conference clearly indicate further ongoing changes to compliance requirements going forward and, naturally, we must ensure our affiliates are prepared to address these needs.

“We are not and will not be able to continuously provide review and guidance services to all affiliates and would like to emphasise that the responsibility to achieve compliance ultimately sits with the affiliate.

“For these reasons going forward, although we value all the hard work all our affiliates have been putting in to the partnership, we are only able to continue to work with a small number of affiliates who satisfy our compliance standards, share our commitment to compliance, and further have the operational scale to guarantee ongoing compliance and deliver a worthwhile contribution to our business.”

LeoVegas follows a whole host of operators who have made changes to their affiliate programmes in recent months, including bet365, Paddy Power Betfair, 888, and Sky Bet.