Gambling: William Hill gives Dundee council £500k after addict's fraud
FILE PHOTOS William Hill paid Dundee City Council £500,000
He admitted defrauding Dundee City Council out of more than £1million in an elaborate purchasing scheme. The 52-year-old, of Brechin, Angus, admitted using his IT skills to re-route payments to his own accounts between August 2009 and May 2016. Following a meeting of the council’s scrutiny committee in December, it was reported a gambling operator had paid an “ex gratia” payment to the local authority. Details of the six-figure payment from William Hill were revealed using freedom of information legislation, but the betting giant has refused to answer questions about it. Addiction charity Gamble Aware yesterday said William Hill should have picked up the “obvious signal” Conway’s spending would have shown.
FILE PHOTO William Hill refused to answer questions about the case
It is clear Mark Conway is the main culprit in this case, however there has been a failure on behalf of the banks, the gambling commission, William Hill and the council and it is important we learn the lessons from this. Richard McCready
A spokesperson said: “Gambling companies should be constantly looking for any indication that their customers are getting into trouble with their gambling. “One obvious signal is higher than normal spending, which these figures suggest could have been very clear. It would be disappointing if, in such a case, this was not spotted and properly investigated. “It is quite right that where funds are the proceeds of crime, they are returned to the rightful owner and in the past, the Gambling Commission has required this when it reviews such cases to see if there has been a breach of the bookmaker’s gambling licence.” Labour councillor Richard McCready said: “It is clear Mark Conway is the main culprit in this case, however there has been a failure on behalf of the banks, the gambling commission, William Hill and the council and it is important we learn the lessons from this.
GETTY The gambling company made an 'ex gratia' payment to Dundee City Council