The UK Gambling Commission has suspended the operating licences of BresBet and Bet St George after identifying suspected shortcomings in anti-money laundering and social responsibility controls.
The suspensions took effect immediately on 28 August and affect BresBet Ltd, operator of bresbet.com, and Bet St George Ltd, which runs betstgeorge.com. Formal reviews of both licences are now under way under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005.
The regulator has not disclosed the specific incidents behind its action. However, it said preliminary enquiries identified potential failures relating to customer protection and AML procedures.
Both suspensions will remain in force until the Gambling Commission is satisfied that the operators meet their regulatory obligations.
Customers can continue accessing their accounts and withdrawing funds during the review. The Commission has also instructed both companies to treat customers fairly and provide updates on any developments affecting their accounts or balances.
Bet St George faces action months after UK launch
The regulatory intervention comes only around six months after Bet St George entered the British market.
BresBet has operated in the UK since 2021, initially through a white-label arrangement before securing its own operating licence. Bet St George launched in early 2026 after receiving licences covering sportsbook and casino operations.
The companies also have close corporate links. Nic Brereton is connected with both businesses, serving as a director of Bet St George and having returned as a director of BresBet in 2023 after previously leaving the company in 2021.
The two businesses are registered separately but share the same office building. Sarah Laycock, who had served as BresBet managing director since 2025, stepped down from both BresBet and Bet St George in August.
Following the suspension, both brands said they were temporarily unavailable and were no longer accepting bets. They indicated that existing wagers would remain valid and be settled normally, while customer balances would remain accessible.
AML controls remain a regulatory priority
The action comes shortly after the Gambling Commission published its 2026 assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing risks across Britain’s gambling industry.
The regulator said licensed operators continue to face evolving risks linked to customer due diligence, digital payments, artificial intelligence and illegal gambling businesses. Its assessment also identified weaknesses in compliance frameworks as an important source of exposure to financial crime.
Remote casino activity continues to carry a high money-laundering risk rating, according to the Commission. The regulator highlighted the scale and speed of transactions, as well as the potential for certain high-return products and peer-to-peer gambling to be exploited for moving illicit funds.
BresBet and Bet St George are also the latest operators to face UK enforcement over AML and safer gambling controls. In August, QuinnBet agreed to pay £609,104 after a Gambling Commission investigation identified failures in both areas.
Unlike many recent enforcement cases that have resulted in financial penalties or regulatory settlements, the BresBet and Bet St George cases involve immediate licence suspensions while the regulator completes its investigations.
The Gambling Commission has not announced a timetable for concluding either review.