Two UK bookmakers who were handed a suspension by the regulator last week have confirmed that they have surrendered their operating licences.

Bet St George and BresBet have informed the Gambling Commission that they will surrender their licences after they had been given a suspension for “suspected social responsibility and anti-money laundering failings”.

The two operators are linked through Nic Brereton, who founded BresBet and was the Chair of Bet St George. 

They are still liable to enforcement from the Commission though the surrendering of licences makes it slightly more difficult for the regulator to collect any settlement. 

The Personal Management Licences (PMLs) of some executives may be at risk of being removed, however, which could mean that these executives may experience troubles should they be appointed to a management position by another UK operator. 

Bet St George’s run over before it could begin

Bet St George had only launched in the UK in March this year, having gained operating licences in December 2025. SBC News discovered that the company’s adverts were still playing on national radio station talkSPORT after it was handed the suspension.

The company had targeted marketing campaigns shortly after at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival and told SBC News of how it aimed to have a clear “England-first focus”.

But confirmation that it would no longer continue was given to customers last week. 

“We’re sorry to bring you some difficult news. Following the suspension of our licence by the Gambling Commission, we’ve had to make the tough decision to stop operating,” a statement read. 

The team has urged all customers who have a balance in their Bet St George account to get in contact with them by the end of this month. 

BresBet, a name known to UK punters for slightly longer, issued a similar statement. 

The operator only received its own exclusive UK licence in March 2025. It had previously operated via white label partnerships throughout the majority of this decade. 

However, that run has now come to an end before it could ever really get going. A message to BresBet customers read: “We’ve checked your account, and there’s either no balance or it’s under the £1 we’re able to refund. 

“So there’s nothing owed to you, and nothing you need to do. Thank you for betting with us. It’s genuinely meant a lot.”

The closure of the two firms gives further insight into the struggles presented by the current market to smaller operators. 

Though they are connected, it speaks volumes that two separate businesses clearly think that there is more value in shutting down as opposed to potentially paying a huge settlement fee to the Commission. 

In fairness to the regulator, however, it did warn recently that it would be clamping down on improper behaviour.