The UK’s gambling watchdog is set to hold discussions with members of the football betting industry after concerns have been raised over wrong results being recorded. Bookmakers make use of data providers in order to determine bets placed on statistics such as the number of tackles or shots in a match. However, some customers claim they have been losing bets due to the use of inaccurate data that they cannot appeal. A number of case studies were presented to Dr Alireza Monajati, a football analytics expert, who concluded that most of the customers’ grievances were valid.
Last year, around 15% of all appeals to the Independent Betting Adjudication Service were related to football data bets, accounting for nearly 300 cases. The UK’s biggest betting resolution organisation stated that although it is concerned about the subjective nature of these markets, it cannot overturn the vast majority of cases, since bookmakers’ terms generally state that settlements are based on the third-party agency’s declarations. The agency believes that such a policy is fair, however, it has generated concern among those placing the bets who are not able to have the agency take another look if they suspect an error has been made.
Opta, the third-party data agency used by most bookmakers, has come in for particular criticism. Most bookmakers use an agreement stating that Opta’s statistics are to be used in order to settle their data bets, however, different data providers often return varying results. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final, for instance, Opta recorded 30 ‘shots’, while FIFA counted 31 ‘attempts on goal’. Opta’s parent company has defended the accuracy of its work, claiming that it ensures the quality, consistency, and accuracy of its sports data
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