Numerous UK media publications have named William Hill as one of three gambling firms who paid the Dundee City Council an ex-gratia payment to cover employee Mark Conway’s GBP 1,065,000 embezzelment (see previous report).
The 52-year-old council employee, who was convicted of fraud and jailed for over five years, re-routed payments to his personal accounts in an elaborate purchasing scheme to fund an online gambling addiction over an eight year period.
Media reports the details were obtained through the freedom of information act but fail to identify the other two gambling firms involved.
William Hill is reported to have re-paid GBP500,000 to the Dundee City Council, the sum spent by Conway at the gambling firm’s online brands.
The payment enabled the council, along with other ex-gratia payments, to break even.
“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,” Labour councillor Richard McCready said.
William Hill reportedly declined to comment on the matter.