The U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC) has begun an investigation of how soccer wagering markets are settled after complaints about wrong results by bookmakers, the BBC reported April 29.
The Commission told the BBC that it plans to meet with people in the industry to discuss “claims that wrong results are being recorded.”
Some consumers have complained that inaccurate data has been used to settle soccer wagers, and specifically “statistics like the number of tackles or shots in a match.” The players say they “felt robbed” by inaccurate data being used by bookmakers using third-party feeds.
Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes will reportedly meet with key members of the industry and make sure the soccer markets are accurate and fair.
Two disputes are directed at Opta, the main data collector for the Premier League. This is concerning since Opta data, among other third parties, is used by bookies to determine who wins bets.
The BBC quoted Dr. Alireza Monajati, of the University of East London, that some of the complaints are valid. Monajati declared, “No data company asserts absolute accuracy,” and “even with a high accuracy rate, say 95 percent, it implies a 5 percent margin of inaccuracy.”
Adding to the irritation is that there is currently no appeals process for contesting inaccurate data.
The parent company of Opta, Stats Perform, defends the accuracy and consistency of its Premier League data, while acknowledging that providers’ results are not guaranteed.
License requirements say operators must provide a procedure to vet complaints through an “alternative dispute resolution” provider.
Currently the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) annually fields hundreds of complaints about data inaccuracy. That accounts for about 15 percent of IBAS’s dispute resolutions.
Many critics call on the Commission to hurry and establish a gambling ombudsman, which the Gambling White Paper called for being appointed last year at this time.
