UKGC's Role in Gambling Data Report Revealed

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A Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure has revealed the UK Gambling Commission's (UKGC) active involvement in the drafting of a key academic report on how gambling participation and its impacts are measured.

Documents released following a request dated 16 December 2025 show that the regulator provided detailed feedback to academic authors on at least two separate occasions during the summer of 2025. This provides a rare insight into the process behind the data that underpins UK gambling policy.

The Report and the Request

The FOI request sought copies of a report by researchers from the London School of Economics (LSE) titled, 'Three Experiments on the Causes of Differences in Estimates of Gambling and Gambling Impacts in General Population Surveys'.

This research is significant as it examines the methodologies used to produce headline statistics on gambling prevalence and rates of harm. These figures are fundamental to the work of the Commission and are frequently cited in parliamentary debates, by public health bodies, and across the media.

What the Documents Reveal

The Gambling Commission provided a partial release of documents, showing a clear back-and-forth process between the regulator and the LSE authors. The key files released include:

• Multiple draft versions of the report from July and August 2025 (versions 4, 5, and 6).
• A file named Summary of Comments on Report July25 v4 Redacted, dated 23 July 2025.
• A second file named Summary of Comments on Report July25 v5 Redacted, dated 5 August 2025.

These documents confirm that the UKGC reviewed drafts of the academic paper and provided structured feedback, which was then seemingly incorporated into subsequent versions of the report. While the substance of the comments is not fully known due to redactions, their existence demonstrates a collaborative relationship between the regulator and the researchers.

The Commission noted that information was redacted under section 40 of the FOIA to protect the personal data of identifiable individuals.

Why This Matters for Consumers

The statistics that measure the scale of gambling and gambling-related harm in the UK are not just abstract numbers; they are the basis for consumer protection policies and regulatory action. Understanding how this data is created and refined is crucial for transparency.

This disclosure shows that the UKGC is not a passive recipient of research. Instead, the regulator actively engages with the academics producing foundational reports that influence its own evidence base. For consumers, this highlights that the data shaping gambling regulation is subject to a detailed process of review and input, with the industry regulator itself playing a role in the development of the final product.