Anti-Money Laundering: First AML Sanction for Licensed Operator

Anti-Money Laundering: First Sanction Against a Licensed Operator

In July 2025, the ANJ referred a case to the National Sanctions Commission for the first time, following an inspection that revealed a licensed gambling operator had allegedly failed to comply with its Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) obligations.

During a hearing held on July 8, 2026, the National Sanctions Commission confirmed the breaches identified by the ANJ and imposed financial penalties, alongside a suspended two-month ban on operating online gaming activities, against the operator involved, a senior executive, and its compliance officer.

Gambling and betting are subject to strict regulation to prevent risks to public and social order, particularly those related to fraud, money laundering, and terrorist financing.

The ANJ, acting as a supervisory authority within the meaning of the Monetary and Financial Code (CMF), is responsible for ensuring that the operators it regulates comply with their anti-fraud and AML/CFT obligations.

To this end, the ANJ ensures that operators understand their AML/CFT risks through training and information initiatives, which it evaluates annually when reviewing their AML/CFT action plans. It also provides operators with compliance support, which involves personalized follow-ups in the form of two meetings per year.

The ANJ also provides regulated companies with various resources:

-The reference framework, which outlines the operational application of the legal framework regarding anti-fraud and AML/CFT measures in the gambling and betting sector.

-A practical guide on AML/CFT obligations for JONUM (games with monetizable digital assets) companies.

ANJ conducts increasingly rigorous audits 

Finally, the ANJ conducts increasingly rigorous audits to verify operators' compliance with these obligations. In this context, ANJ investigators detected several breaches in this specific case: lack of awareness regarding the asset freezing system, the absence of internal procedures, and a failure to notify the Minister of the Economy. The ANJ subsequently submitted an inspection report to the National Sanctions Commission (CNS), which decided to initiate proceedings and formally notify the operator of the charges.

In its decision on July 8, 2026, the National Sanctions Commission upheld the breaches. It imposed financial penalties and a suspended two-month ban on operating online gaming activities against the operator concerned, a senior executive, and its compliance officer.