Two British betting sites have ceased trading immediately after having their licenses suspended by the UK Gambling Commission.
BresBet and Bet St George, which are both connected to racehorse owner Nic Brereton, have told their customers that they will no longer be taking bets after the regulator took their licence away.
The Gambling Commission cited ‘suspected social responsibility and anti-money laundering failings’ for the licence suspension; a penalty usually saved for only the most serious of regulatory breaches.
Licence Suspension
Bresbet was launched in 2021 initially as part of a white label partnership, before securing its own licence in February 2025, while Bet St George was unveiled earlier this year with a vow to focus on the most significant sporting events in the UK.
Nic Brereton is listed as the director of both brands as per Companies House, with various other individuals – including other members of the Brereton family and Sarah Jane Laycock – also connected.
Having branched out on their own Gambling Commission licence, the responsibility for ensuring the brands remained compliant with their licensing requirements also moved in house.
And that was clearly an issue, with both of the sites temporarily shut down late in August as the UKGC made clear its intention to investigate the catalogue of failings it had uncovered.
In a short statement on August 28, the Gambling Commission confirmed the temporary licence removal and wrote:
“The suspension, which takes place immediately, does not prevent either operator from allowing consumers to access their accounts and withdrawing funds.”
The regulator confirmed that the licensed would be suspended on an ongoing basis until they were satisfied that BresBet and Bet St George were compliant with anti-money laundering and social responsibility rules.
Their websites were closed to account holders, with a message asking anyone wishing to make a withdrawal or to check on the status of their open bets to contact customer support.
Less than 24 hours, a post on Bresbet’s X page confirmed that ‘we’re currently receiving a very high volume of enquiries, so our team may take longer than usual to respond.’
“Any bets already placed will stand and be settled as normal, and account balances remain protected and unaffected.”
Quick Goodbye
Less than a week later, both BresBet and Bet St George closed their virtual doors for good.
An update to the Gambling Commission’s initial statement added:
“On 4 September 2026, 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.”
And then, at 5pm on the Friday evening, an email from BresBet to their account holders confirmed the immediate closure.
Rather than working with the regulator to improve their processes, the directors opted to shut down the businesses instead – the insinuation being that they might have received a significant fine if they had continued to operate.
It’s rare for operators to surrender their licence, although there are certain similarities with the similar decision taken by white label firm TGP Europe in 2025.
Having been issued with a £3.3 million fine by the Gambling Commission for a series of licence breaches, they decided instead to surrender their licence and leave the UK market – rather than handing over the cash.
The likes of VBet, NRG Bet and Betzone have also surrendered their UK licenses in recent years, although those were strategic decisions – as opposed to the firms being ‘persuaded’ out by regulatory action.
Next Steps
As neither BresBet nor Bet St George has faced financial difficulties, all customers can expect to be able to withdraw their cash – and some are reporting that their money is being refunded automatically.
The grey area comes with open bets, with the likelihood that either BresBet or Bet St George will refund the stake – however, they are unlikely to pay out on any ‘cash out’ amounts that were live at the time of their suspension.
It’s a shame for their customers and a blow to horse racing too, with BresBet acting as a sponsor to trainer Fergal O’Brien’s yard as well as enjoying commercial ties with Uttoxeter Racecourse and prestigious greyhound races, including the Easter Cup and the Steel City Cup.
If you have a BresBet or Bet St George account, you can contact support@bresbet.com or support@betstgeorge.com for the latest updates.
If there are any issues, contact an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service; you can see a full list of Trading Standards approved agencies here.