UK Gambling Commission suspends Spribe’s licence over hosting compliance breach | AGB
Summary
The UK Gambling Commission has suspended the operating licence of Spribe OÜ after finding serious non-compliance with the regulator’s hosting requirements. The Commission said the suspension was imposed on ‘grounds of suitability’ because Spribe failed to meet technical and regulatory standards for hosting remote casino games.
Spribe must stop all hosting activity in Great Britain immediately until the suspension is lifted and an appropriate licence is reissued. The Commission has opened a formal review of Spribe’s licence and activities. Spribe says the issue was a technical oversight: it holds a remote gambling software licence (granted December 2020) but had not applied for the separate remote casino game host licence required under its hosting model.
The supplier is preparing an application and is working with the Commission. It also said the suspension does not affect player access to accounts or withdrawals.
Key Points
- The UK Gambling Commission suspended Spribe OÜ’s operating licence for breaching hosting requirements.
- Spribe must immediately cease hosting remote casino games in Great Britain until compliant host authorisation is in place.
- UK rules require a separate remote casino game host licence in addition to a gambling software licence for suppliers that host games on their own servers.
- Offering unauthorised hosting services may amount to a criminal offence under Section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005.
- The Commission has launched a formal review of Spribe’s licence and activities; suppliers and operators should expect close scrutiny and clear communications about service disruption.
- Spribe describes the lapse as a technical oversight and is preparing the required host licence application; player funds and withdrawals are not affected, the company says.
- Spribe’s Aviator game is widely distributed across Europe, so the suspension has potential operational impacts for many online casino platforms and partners.
Content summary
The regulator’s action centres on the distinction between a software licence and a host licence under UK rules. Where a supplier hosts games on its servers and provides access via an operator’s platform, a host licence is mandatory. The Commission flagged Spribe’s failure to secure that separate authorisation as a suitability issue and moved to suspend hosting activities while it reviews the supplier’s compliance.
Spribe accepts the oversight and says it is taking urgent steps to apply for the host licence and to cooperate with the Commission. The company has emphasised continuity for players — accounts and withdrawals are unaffected — but operators and partners must now assess exposure and contingency plans.
Context and relevance
This is part of a broader trend of tighter regulator enforcement in online gambling. Authorities are increasingly focused on supply-chain compliance: licences, hosting arrangements, technical controls and clear lines of responsibility. For operators using third-party hosted games, this serves as a reminder to verify suppliers’ full authorisations and to have contingency measures for product availability and player protection.
The case also highlights legal risk: unauthorised hosting can carry criminal penalties under the Gambling Act, so suppliers and operators should treat licence gaps seriously rather than as administrative detail.
Author style
Punchy: this matters. A supplier suspension from the UKGC isn’t a minor hiccup — it can ripple through operator platforms, commercial agreements and player experience. If you work with hosted games or depend on Aviator-style titles, dig into the detail here and check your supplier paperwork now.
Why should I read this?
Short answer: because it could hit your product lines and compliance risk. If your platform runs Spribe content (or any supplier-hosted games), this tells you what went wrong, what the regulator expects, and why you need to check licences and contingency plans — saved you the headache of trawling the regulator’s notices yourself.