UKGC Lacks Historic Premises Data

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Key Finding: No Central Archive of Gambling Venue History

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) does not retain historical data on the number and location of licensed gambling premises in Great Britain, a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure has confirmed. The revelation means that tracking long-term changes in the prevalence of betting shops, casinos, and arcades from a single, official source is not possible.

This lack of a central historical archive presents a significant challenge for researchers, local authorities, and consumers seeking to understand how the land-based gambling landscape has evolved over time.

The Request and the Commission's Response

In a request dated 23 January 2024, an individual asked the UKGC to provide copies of its full register of gambling premises from seven specific points in time, spanning from June 2017 to June 2020.

In its official response, the Commission stated that the information was "not held". It explained the reason for this:

"The premises register published on the Gambling Commission website is a live document, which is updated on a regular basis, we do not generally retain the historical spreadsheets from the premises register."

Licensing for physical gambling venues is the responsibility of local licensing authorities, such as a local council. The UKGC compiles the data provided by these numerous authorities to maintain its national public register. The regulator advised that for accurate historical data, the requester would need to contact each relevant local authority directly, as they are the primary record-keepers.

Why This Data Matters

For consumers and community groups, historical data on gambling premises is vital for understanding the changing character of a local high street or neighbourhood. It allows for analysis of whether the density of gambling venues is increasing or decreasing, which is a key factor in local planning and public health discussions concerning gambling-related harm.

Without a centralised, accessible historical record, conducting nationwide research becomes a fragmented and arduous task. Researchers or policymakers would need to submit individual requests to hundreds of local authorities to build a national picture, a process that would be both time-consuming and costly.

Significance for Regulatory Transparency

The disclosure highlights a notable gap in the UKGC's role as a central data repository for the industry it regulates. While the Commission provides a real-time snapshot of all licensed premises, its policy of not archiving this data means that valuable longitudinal information is not being preserved at a national level.

This effectively decentralises historical record-keeping, placing the burden of data retention and retrieval on individual local authorities. For anyone seeking to analyse trends in the physical presence of gambling across Great Britain, this lack of a single source of truth complicates efforts to create an evidence base for future policy and regulation.