Pinnacle hands back Alderney licence
Operator made decision before conclusion of investigations opened last year by Channel Island regulator.
Curaçao-licensed operator Pinnacle Sports has surrendered a secondary licence awarded by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC), a spokesman for the regulatory body has confirmed to eGaming Review.
The AGCC launched an investigation into the operator in October last year, after Pinnacle’s dot.com domain was named in the indictment of former Cantor Gaming sportsbook director Mike Colbert, and the regulator’s spokesman confirmed that the licence was surrendered in “early January”.
The spokesman said: “It happened during the course of our investigation – we had got to the point at which we needed some answers.
“One thing we can say is that we were able to ensure Pinnacle’s Alderney site was taken down in an orderly manner.”
A spokesperson for Pinnacle Sports could not be reached for comment at the time of writing, however at the time of the investigation being launched the operator issued a statement saying: “Regarding the recent allegations surrounding the individuals allegedly affiliated with Pinnacle Sports, please be reassured that no Pinnacle Sports employees have been arrested or charged, and Pinnacle Sports itself was not charged in the indictment.”
It is unclear whether Pinnacle Sports intends to apply for a licence in any other territory, or whether the company will continue operating purely under its Curaçao accreditation.
The operator had been licensed in Alderney for less than a year, after first attaining AGCC approval in May 2012, and marketing director Aly Lalani said at the time that the licence provided “A perfect spring board from which to continue to grow our European player base ahead of a crucial summer of European focused sports featuring the Euro 2012 Championships and the Summer Olympics”