Spribe has responded to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) suspension of its operating licence by confirming that a licensing mishap took place.

The Commission announced yesterday that Spribe’s Gaming Software licence had been suspended until the company acquires an appropriate licence for its business.

In a statement shared with SBC today, Spribe confirmed that it has been operating using a Gambling Software licence since 2020 but that it actually required a remote casino game host licence.

“This is a technical licensing gap that was not identified during the original application process in 2020,” its statement read. “Spribe is now preparing an application to vary our existing licence to add remote casino game host activities.

“We are working urgently to ensure this application is submitted as soon as possible and that all technical and regulatory requirements are fully met. We hope the Commission will be able to approve the application promptly and that we can recommence operations in the UK market as soon as possible.”

The wrong licence

Spribe’s chief product is Aviator, a widely used crash game with notable operators offering it including 888casino, BetVictor, BetMGM and Paddy Power. Spribe operated the game itself via these companies’ backends under a ‘hosting’ arrangement.

The licensing mishap in question here saw Spribe carry out hosting under the assumption that this was covered under its Gambling Software licence, when in actuality it required a hosting licence.

What this boils down to is a simple mistake – Spribe thought it had the right licence, but it did not. The firm has not been accused of black market activity, but more of a licensing mishap – though some have taken to LinkedIn to state that their “spidey senses are tingling”.

What this suspension does tell us is that the Commission is clearly becoming more vigilant for any types of unlicensed activity. This could range from a company actively operating a sportsbook or casino without a licence to selling games to unlicensed operators or, in Spribe’s case, holding a licence – but not the right one.

“As a company we remain fully committed to compliance, transparency and maintaining the highest standards of software integrity across all markets in which we operate,” Spribe’s statement concluded.

“Throughout our five years of operation in the British market, Spribe has consistently complied with all regulatory requirements under our gambling software licence.

“We note that the suspension does not affect players’ ability to access their accounts or withdraw funds, and we are not aware of any harm to consumers as a result of the gap in our British licensing position.”