Industry Outraged Over Misleading Report Linking AWPs to Money Laundering

A controversial report published by the organisation We Fight Fraud (WFF) has sparked widespread anger in the UK gaming sector after making unsubstantiated claims that OKTO-enabled fruit machines could be used for money laundering.

The article, which appeared on the WFF website last week, alleged that cash and digital payments could be “mixed” using OKTO technology on fruit machines - claims that have been firmly and publicly rebutted by OKTO and criticised by leading industry voices.

“This report is factually incorrect and extremely damaging, both to OKTO and the industry at large,” said Simon Barff, Managing Director of CLMS the leading aggregator of data from connected machines in the UK with over 35,000 in its estate. “The technical claims made in the article display a fundamental misunderstanding of how cashless systems operate and risk undermining responsible innovation in our sector.”

In a detailed response, Dimitrios Spiroudis, Product Owner at OKTO, refuted the claims point by point, clarifying that the OKTO.DIRECT solution is a digital-only payment system that does not allow any form of cash deposits. He also explained that once a digital payment session is initiated, cash acceptors on the machine are automatically disabled, making any mixing of funds impossible.

“Every OKTO transaction is tied to a verified user through an OTP (One-Time Password), and our system complies fully with AML, KYC, and all regulatory requirements,” Spiroudis stated. “The article lacks any evidence or technical understanding, and contains no input from regulators, experts, or independent bodies.”

While WFF has built a reputation within the fraud prevention community, many in the gaming industry believe that the publication of the article without consultation or corroboration has created unnecessary concern and reputational damage.

The situation escalated further when Game Payment Technology (GPT), a commercial competitor of OKTO, appeared to capitalise on the WFF article by releasing a public statement on their website, drawing comparisons with their own technology. While the GPT statement stops short of making direct allegations, its timing has been viewed by some as opportunistic.

“Whatever the intention, this kind of behaviour only serves to divide the industry at a time when unity and shared responsibility around compliance are essential,” said one senior figure, who wished to remain anonymous. “We must not allow innovation or legitimate solutions to be derailed by ill-informed speculation.”

Industry observers are now calling for greater caution when publishing reports that touch on regulated technologies - particularly where business reputations and public confidence are at stake.

As of now, OKTO has invited regulators and industry bodies to review the technology and its security protocols directly and continues to stress its commitment to compliance, transparency, and fraud prevention.

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7 August 2025

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