Ken Howells Owner Has Licence Suspended Over AML Failings
The Gambling Commission has suspended Targetlocal Ltd's licence over potential anti-money laundering failings. It's the latest suspension this month, after BresBet and Bet St George.
UK Gambling News 
Targetlocal Ltd, the owner and operator of Ken Howells, has had its licence suspended by the Gambling Commission since 21 September 2026.
The regulator has cited potential anti-money laundering failings as the reason, with the site temporarily banned from accepting bets or offering their casino games.
It’s the second licence suspension issued by the Gambling Commission this month, with BresBet and Bet St George both suspended earlier in September – both brands have since shut down altogether.
Accounts Still Open
You can still access your Ken Howells account if you are worried about your money.
A message on their website confirms that ‘our operating licence has been suspended by the Gambling Commission. We are currently unable to offer gambling facilities to GB customers.’
The communications on their homepage continue:
Customers can still withdraw any available funds from their accounts. Please rest assured that we are working to resolve this as a matter of urgency and hope to have everything back up and running as soon as possible.
Ken Howells
Readers that have any queries about their account can still contact [email protected].
Full Licence Review
A press statement from the Gambling Commission doesn’t give much away, but confirms that the suspension ‘follows Commission enquiries which revealed anti-money laundering failings.’
The regulator will now carry out a full review of Ken Howell’s licensing, as standard, under Section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005, with the site remaining on lock until they are satisfied that the necessary standards have been implemented.
It has been made clear to the operator that during the course of the suspension, it is expected to treat consumers fairly and keep them fully informed of any developments which impact them.
Gambling Commission
The suspension only relates to Ken Howells’ online casino and sports betting operation. Their non-remote licence remains active, so the firm will continue to take bets at their betting shop in Ammanford, South Wales and at their betting ring pitches at various UK racecourses.
The End of BresBet
Right now, any doubts about the future of Ken Howells’ online channels are pure speculation.
But there are seemingly similarities to the licence suspensions of BresBet and Bet St George, which escalated into permanent business closure in rapid fashion.
The Gambling Commission posted on August 28 that they had suspended the operating licences of the brands – both operated by the Brereton family – after they had found evidence of both social responsibility and anti-money laundering failings.
The sites were taken offline, with similar messaging to customers confirming that withdrawals could still be made from accounts.
Within a week, both BresBet and Bet St George were gone. The directors behind them decided to surrender their operating licence – presumably so that they didn’t have to pay any fines – and shut the two sites down for good.
A subsequent post from the Gambling Commission, dated September 5, confirmed the situation:
BresBet Ltd and Bet St George Ltd surrendered their operating licences. Both operators have been reminded of our expectation that they have plans in place, and to take all necessary steps, to make sure consumers are not unnecessarily disadvantaged.
Gambling Commission
They are now in the process of refunding account balances to their customers, although some users are reporting that their payout is still pending.
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Craig has been writing about the online betting sector for more than a decade. He’s been having a flutter on the football, trying to master basic blackjack strategy and testing out the latest slots for even longer.