National Lottery Operator Camelot has been fined £1.15m by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for a number of failings, including a mobile app glitch and the release of an incomplete list of raffle winners.
The penalty was announced on Thursday following an investigation performed by the UKGC in December 2016. The investigation discovered a series of failings at the operator. For instance, in the same year, Camelot launched a faulty mobile app that mistakenly notified winners that their tickets were non-winning. There was also an incomplete online raffle prize list, direct debit malfunctions and a lack of security measures. Contractual failings with the Post Office, one of Camelot’s major distributors, was also spotted during the investigation.
Nevertheless, the UKGC praised the operator’s effort in “updating and enhancing its procedures and controls to mitigate the risk of further issues”.
“It is crucial that the National Lottery is run fairly, safely and with integrity,” said Richard Watson, Executive Director of the UKGC.
Camelot recognised the findings and the fine would contribute to National Lottery Good Causes, which supports community projects in the UK.
“While we have always sought to run the National Lottery to the highest possible standards, we accept that, at the time of these incidents, our standards in certain areas weren’t as rigorous as they should have been and for that we’re sorry.” stated Camelot.
This is far from the first time Camelot is penalised by the UKGC. In December 2016, the gambling industry watchdog hit Camelot with a £3m penalty for an alleged fraudulent payout. In July of the same year, the operator was fined £300k for releasing incorrect Lotto results. Camelot also miscalculated a jackpot prize amount in August 2014, leading to a £100k penalty.
The UKGC monitors both the National Lottery and commercial gambling in the UK.
The commission has drastically increased the value of fines imposed on gambling operators over the past year so as to enhance customer protection and reduce illegal activities. Total penalties issued increased from £1.6m in the year to April 2017 to £18m in the year to April 2018.
