Gambling Commission Calls for Greater Transparency in Football Bet Builders

The UK Gambling Commission has today called on bookmakers to improve transparency around football bet builders. The advice comes following complaints about disputed player statistics and winning bets being reversed.

For bettors researching bet builder tips and player performance, statistics such as shots on target, assists and goalkeeper saves can be crucial. However, disagreements over how these events are recorded can result in bets being settled differently from what customers expect.

In guidance published today, the UKGC outlined what constitutes good practice. The guide is aimed at all bookmakers offering bets on individual sporting events, known as ‘micro-markets’.

The regulator highlighted three key areas for improvement:

• The independence of sporting data
• Clearer betting terms
• Better communication when results are reversed

Winning Bet Builders Can Be Reversed

According to the UKGC, complaints about micro-markets have emerged over several years. These complaints often relate to differences between sporting data providers and customers' inability to challenge their decisions directly.

The Commission explained that some statistics involve ‘unavoidable subjectivity’. For example, determining whether a shot or pass was intentional is sometimes subjective, but can affect how a bet is determined won or lost.

When a single disputed selection can determine whether an entire bet builder wins or loses, this subjectivity understandably causes tension.

The regulator also highlighted cases where bets initially settled as winners were subsequently changed to losses. All after data providers reviewed match incidents.

Some customers only discovered these reversals after checking their accounts, all whilst receiving little or no explanation. The UKGC therefore recommends that bookmakers explain what has changed, how it affects the bet, and where customers can find further information.

It also suggests introducing clear cut-off points after which sporting data and betting results can no longer be amended.

Bookmakers Urged to Make Betting Terms Clearer

The Commission wants bookmakers to provide more information about how their markets are settled before customers place bets.

Its recommendations for providing this clarity include:

• Clearly defining events such as shots on target, assists, and saves.
• Identifying which third-party data provider is responsible for settling bets.
• Explaining whether statistics can be corrected after a match.
• Publishing deadlines for finalising betting results.
• Keeping records of disputed decisions.
• Ensuring all data providers remain independent.

Although many bookmakers already publish some of this information, the UKGC says practices are surprisingly inconsistent across the industry.

While the recommendations may appear ‘new’, they relate to existing requirements under Licence Condition 7.1. This covers fair and transparent terms and practices. The regulator made sure to stress that it has not found widespread non-compliance or serious fairness problems in these betting markets.

While the guidance isn’t enforcing brand new rules, it does shine a light on a type of bet that has exploded in popularity recently. With micro-events being subjective, it’s hard for customers to reliably establish how a sporting event will be classified. So, how confidently can they assess the selections they are placing?

The UKGC says it will continue monitoring these markets. It plans to continue gathering feedback from customers, gambling operators, and alternative dispute resolution providers.