The UK Gambling Commission has suspended the operating licence of Spribe OÜ with immediate effect, following serious concerns over the company’s compliance with hosting requirements under the Gambling Act 2005. The Estonian-based supplier, best known for its popular crash game Aviator, is now under formal review for allegedly hosting remote casino games beyond the scope of its existing authorisation.

The regulator said the decision was taken “on grounds of suitability” and forms part of a review under section 118(2) of the Gambling Act 2005. The suspension affects Spribe’s UK gambling software licence (no. 057302-R-333085-003) and requires the firm to halt all hosting operations in Great Britain immediately.

Commission Investigates Serious Non-Compliance

According to the Gambling Commission, the suspension was deemed necessary after “serious non-compliance with the hosting requirements” outlined in its licensing framework. The regulator confirmed that it has “clearly communicated to the operator that all hosting activity must stop immediately unless and until a suitable hosting licence is obtained.”

Under Section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005, it is a criminal offence to provide gambling facilities in Great Britain without an appropriate licence, unless an exemption applies. The Commission stressed its ongoing commitment to enforcing strict compliance and said it “takes a robust approach to unlicensed gambling activity and always expects the highest standards of compliance and integrity from its licensees.”

The regulator further directed Spribe to “promptly notify any parties impacted by service disruptions and to ensure that all operations are halted in line with the conditions of their operating licence until further notice.”

Spribe acknowledged the suspension, describing the issue as a technical oversight in the licensing process. The company explained that while it has held a UK remote gambling software licence since December 2020, it had not separately applied for a remote casino game hosting licence, which is now required under its operational model.

In a public statement, the firm said it is taking the matter “extremely seriously” and is preparing an application to address the licensing gap. “Spribe remains fully committed to compliance, transparency, and maintaining the highest standards of software integrity,” the statement read. The company added that it is cooperating fully with the Gambling Commission to resolve the issue and that player accounts and withdrawals remain unaffected by the suspension.

Impact on Operations and Market Standing

Spribe’s software powers the widely recognised Aviator game, a crash-style title launched in 2019 that has become one of the most played casino games globally, drawing tens of millions of users each month. The game is available on several UK-licensed platforms, including 888casino, Paddy Power, and BetVictor, and is also licensed in other jurisdictions such as Malta and Gibraltar.

Industry observers noted that the suspension does not accuse Spribe of offering illegal gambling but of conducting business-to-business hosting activities that fall outside the permissions of its current licence. The Commission’s review will determine whether the company can obtain a proper hosting authorisation to resume operations.

“The Gambling Commission takes a robust approach to unlicensed gambling activity,” the regulator reiterated, adding that it expects all licensees to maintain full compliance and integrity when providing software or hosting services to UK operators.