UK Gambling Commission Fines Camelot After Mobile App Failures
A UKGC investigation showed Camelot breached mobile app regulations in three separate instances. Camelot now has to pay a fine in the region of £3.15 million. This was shortly after the UK Gambling Commission stripped it of its lottery license after operating in the country since 1994.
Significant Mobile App Regulation Breaches Result in £3.15M Fine for Camelot
The UKGC termed the breaches as serious since they affected numerous players. This then resulted in a £3.15 million fine for the operator. Camelot has since made major improvements to its app but Andrew Rhodes emphasized that UKGC remains firm in ensuring any breaches of regulations will be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
The UKGC chief executive further urges other operators to take this case as an example. Rhodes stated that any operator that fails to comply with the set standards will be on the end of a hefty fine. The UKGC stated that the fine paid by the operator will go toward supporting good causes.
A Camelot spokesperson apologized for the failures on their end while also providing updates on the developments. The spokesperson said the company accepts the result of the UKGC investigation. They concluded by expressing their satisfaction with the UKGC’s finding that the breaches weren’t negligent.
All Three Camelot Failures in Detail
Camelot is on the spot for three separate breaches involving its mobile app. In the first instance, up to 20,000 participants failed to receive information about their tickets not winning. This is after they use QR scanners to can them. The breach occurred from November 2016 to September 2020.
The second breach was when 22,210 National Lottery participants bought a single ticket through a mobile app. However, the app charged these participants for two tickets. While the players ended up receiving two tickets, the fact that they needed only one was regarded as a failure by the regulator. The participants have since been rewarded or refunded.
The final breach was sending marketing messages to 65,400 participants. What made this a serious breach was that the operator had already identified them as players at risk of falling into gambling harm. Some of them had already self-excluded. While they couldn’t use the mobile app, they still received promo alerts.
UKGC Set to Strip Camelot of Its National Lottery License
Allwyn Entertainment is the major candidate to receive the National Lottery License. This is according to the UKGC, meaning Camelot is set to lose its license after being in the business for close to three decades.
Camelot received its license in 1994. But there have been rumors of the operator regaining its license although the regulator quickly turned them down. This move by the UKGC disappointed Nigel Railton, with the new license set to go for 10 years.
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