Itai Pazner is stepping down as CEO of 888 Holdings

Itai Pazner, the CEO and Executive Director of 888 Holdings, is stepping down from his position. The company announced that Lord Mendelsohn will take over as interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found.
Commenting on Pazner's departure, Mendelsohn stated, "On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Itai for his significant contributions over more than 20 years, including the last four as CEO. Itai played a vital role in building the business using our powerful proprietary technology and led the successful early stages of the William Hill integration. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors."
While the reason for Pazner's departure was not specified, the announcement coincided with the company's suspension of its VIP operations in the Middle East due to issues related to KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) compliance. 888 reported that an internal compliance review revealed that the region was not meeting established requirements.
In a statement, the company said, "While further internal investigations are ongoing, the Board has decided to immediately suspend the accounts of VIP clients in the region."
Although the connection between Pazner's resignation and the suspension of 888's VIP markets has yet to be established, the timing of the CEO's departure suggests that compliance challenges in the Middle East may have played a role. If this is indeed the case, 888's AML and KYC issues in the region could be quite extensive and potentially damaging to the company.
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