The UK Gambling Commission has ordered William Hill to resubmit its data after the regulatory body discovered that the operator had submitted incorrect data. The UK gambling regulator confirmed that William Hill admits supplying inaccurate data from March 2020 to September 2021.
William Hill now faces the task of resubmitting data encompassing the 22 months accurately. The UK regulator confirmed that it is examining the regulatory consequences of William Hill’s failure to provide correct information.
Who is William Hill?
William Hill launched as a postal betting service in 1934 and is today one of the top UK bookmakers. The company started accepting sports bets in 1966 after the UK legalized high street betting shops in 1961.
During its golden era, William Hill had more than 14,700 betting shops. But the company changed ownership several times. Recently, 888 Holdings has acquired William Hill.
888 Holdings is the owner-operator of several online casinos and bingo gaming services. Today, it owns many online gambling sites like William Hill Vegas and William Hill Bingo.
Based in London, William Hill Ltd. is an international online gambling company. Apart from online sportsbook operations, it also offers online casino games similar to those found at Kings Chance Casino, said games include anything from slots to bingo and online poker, and so much more.
UKGC’s Monthly Reports
The UKGC published monthly reports on the total number of wagers, gambling revenue, average gambling sessions, active player accounts, and more from March 2020. The UK regulator analyzed industry trends during the pandemic, basing its reports on data received from big operators.
Having discovered that it received inaccurate data from William Hill, the UKGC decided to tear up its present reports and republish them with the correct data early in February 2022.
Last month, Andrew Rhodes, the interim CEO of the UKGC, spoke at the GambleAware Annual Conference. He stated that the UKGC expects top standards on licensing duties and compliance as the industry awaits the government to finalize its white paper on the proposed amendments to the Gambling Act of 2005.
He said that the UK gambling industry was far from living in the ideal world of gambling compliance. He noted that many players were experiencing gambling harm because operators failed to comply with gambling laws.
William Hill May Have to Pay a Fine
The UK Gambling Commission may also impose a fine on William Hill for providing incorrect data.
The regulatory body has to withdraw all its previous reports on gambling trends because they are based on false data from William Hill. The UKGC started publishing monthly reports from March 2020 when many expressed concern that frequent lockdowns may aggravate problem gambling and gambling addiction.
On December 23, the regulator published an update stating the need to re-analyse its data. It may publish accurate information only in February 2022.
The regulator relied heavily on data received from top UK gambling firms while preparing its monthly reports during the Coronavirus pandemic. Health workers and academics researching the impact of the pandemic on UK gamblers considered the regulator’s updates as their key resource.
The UKGC stated that it is currently reviewing the regulatory consequences of William Hill’s failure to provide accurate information. The UKGC has the power to revoke or suspend the license of operators who fail to comply with its gambling regulations, but it hardly exercises that power. Usually, it gets into a financial agreement with the offending company.
SkyVegas May Also Have to Pay Fines
William Hill is not the only company in danger of facing a financial penalty. In November, the Guardian published a report of SkyVegas, an online casino brand belonging to Flutter, sending promotional emails to thousands of players trying to overcome gambling addiction. The company had offered free spins in its promotional emails.
Meanwhile, experts stress that UK gambling laws badly need reform. The UK government is in the process of finalizing a white paper reviewing its current gambling regulatory framework. Proposals to amend existing laws and make them more effective will arrive in spring.
