Camelot has been fined £100,000 by the UK Gambling Commission after the regulatory body ruled that the company had breached its licence to operate the country’s National Lottery.
The penalty relates to an initial miscalculation and subsequent communication and publication of an incorrect National Lottery Lotto jackpot prize amount in October 2013.
The incident led to three Lotto jackpot-winning ticket-holders being informed by Camelot that they had won more than they had.
The original jackpot had been broadcast as £6.2 million, which was eventually revised down to £4.8 million after Camelot had realised its error.
The winners were subsequently told the correct prize amount before any money was awarded and the Gambling Commission said that it is confident that winners received the correct prize under the rules of the game.
However, after undertaking a full investigation, the Gambling Commission found that Camelot did not ensure its bespoke processes that were put in place in this area for the re-launch of Lotto were ‘fit for purpose’ and thereby conflicted with its licence agreement.
In addition to the fine, Camelot has also been ordered to commission an independent review, subject to consultation on scope, of its related control environment performance.
Philip Graf, chairman of the Gambling Commission, said: “While this is an isolated incident, this is a serious matter, as confidence in the accurate calculation of prize monies is a critical part of maintaining public trust in the integrity of the National Lottery.
“Camelot has put measures in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again. We will continue to monitor Camelot to ensure it meets the requirements of the licence and that the interests of players are protected.”
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
