UKGC Unable to List Active Lottery Retailers
FOI response reveals regulator cannot distinguish active lottery sales points from applicants in its records, raising transparency questions.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed the UK Gambling Commission does not hold a simple list of active National Lottery retailers. The regulator's data includes all applicants, making it impossible to identify current sales locations and raising questions about regulatory oversight.
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A Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure has revealed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) does not hold a definitive list of currently active National Lottery retailers.
In a response dated 5 October 2023, the regulator stated it was unable to fulfil a request for a complete list of lottery terminal locations because its records do not differentiate between active retailers and businesses that have merely applied to become one.
The Request for Transparency
The FOI request asked for a detailed spreadsheet of all "currently active UK National Lottery retailers." The specified data included business names, full addresses, and retailer types, such as grocery stores or filling stations. The requester highlighted a 2015 Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) decision (FS50553684) which set a precedent for releasing similar location data to the public.
Such information is valuable for consumers seeking nearby sales points and for researchers, local authorities, and public health bodies analysing the density and distribution of gambling outlets across the country.
A Gap in Regulatory Data
The UKGC confirmed that it does hold a spreadsheet containing retailer information. However, it explained that this list is not limited to active sales locations.
"The information we do hold includes any retailer who has submitted an application to Camelot UK Lotteries to become a retailer; they may never become an ‘active retailer’," the Commission's Information Management Team stated.
The regulator concluded that based on the data it possesses, it is "unable to separate this information and therefore we are unable to fulfil your request as you have specified."
This outcome is classified as "Information not held" under the Freedom of Information Act. This is a crucial distinction from a refusal based on a legal exemption (such as commercial sensitivity). It means the UKGC does not possess the requested information in the specified format and cannot easily create it from its existing records.
Significance for Consumers and Oversight
The disclosure highlights a significant gap in the data held by the UK's gambling regulator regarding the country's most widespread gambling product. The inability to produce a simple list of active retailers raises questions about the granularity of the UKGC's oversight of the National Lottery's retail network.
For consumers and community groups, this lack of accessible data prevents independent analysis of the lottery's retail footprint. It makes it difficult to assess, for example, the concentration of lottery outlets in areas of high deprivation or to simply create a comprehensive map of where tickets can be purchased.
While the data in question pertains to the operational period of the previous licence holder, Camelot, it underscores the importance of robust data collection and management for ensuring regulatory transparency and effective public scrutiny of the National Lottery.