UKGC to republish Covid data after inaccurate William Hill information
Gambling regulator weighing up possible penalties after receiving erroneous data resulting in correction due next month
The Gambling Commission (UKGC) has put out a statement advising people to “exercise caution when analysing Covid-19 gambling data” after it emerged the regulator had been provided with false information from a major operator.
William Hill has been pinpointed as providing erroneous information by the UKGC following a query raised during data quality assurance.
The research, which was published on 15 July 2021 and last updated on 8 September, surveyed roughly 80% of the UK-licensed gambling industry. The study was commissioned to explore the impact that Covid-19 has had on gambling behaviours.
The UKGC has stated in its release dated 23 December that the data will now have to be reanalysed and republished with an updated version expected in February 2022.
Some reports claim that William Hill could be fined for providing false data, however the UKGC has stated at this point it is merely “reviewing any regulatory consequences of William Hill’s failure to submit accurate data”.
News of the failure comes as 888 completes its £2.2bn acquisition of William Hill after Caesars sold off the non-US assets from its £2.9bn takeover of the whole group in 2020.
William Hill were not available for comment at the time of publishing.