FOI Reveals Bet365's Surrendered Licences
UKGC data retention policy explains historical gaps in the public register for the major operator.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed the previous UK-licensed entities for gambling giant Bet365. The data also clarifies a key UKGC policy: surrendered licences are removed from the public register after three years, explaining historical gaps for consumers.
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UKGC Clarifies Bet365's Historical Licensing
A Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure from the Gambling Commission (UKGC) has shed light on the previous corporate entities that held UK licences for the popular betting website bet365.com. The data, released following a request dated 11 December 2024, also explains why a complete historical record for the operator does not appear on the UKGC's public register.
Why This Matters to Consumers
The UKGC's public register is a primary tool for consumers to verify if a gambling website is legally licensed to operate in Great Britain. When researching an established brand like Bet365, a perceived gap in its licensing history could cause confusion. This disclosure clarifies that such gaps are not due to a lack of continuous licensing but are a result of the Commission's data retention policies.
Breakdown of the Licence History
The FOI request sought to identify the licensed entity for bet365.com prior to 17 October 2019, as the public register only showed a licence for Hillside (Sports/UKGambing) ENC from that date forward.
The UKGC response confirmed that several other entities within the Bet365 group previously held licences and used the bet365.com domain. These were:
- Hillside (New Media) Limited: Surrendered its licences in 2015.
- Hillside (Gibraltar) Limited: Surrendered its licence in 2020.
- Hillside (UK Sports) LP: Surrendered its licence in 2020.
Crucially, the Commission explained why these entities are no longer visible on its public-facing register. According to the UKGC, a surrendered licence is displayed on the register for a period of three years from the date of surrender. After this period, the record is removed.
This policy means that the licence held by Hillside (New Media) Limited, surrendered in 2015, was removed from the public record in 2018. Similarly, the records for the two entities that surrendered licences in 2020 were removed in 2023.
Significance for Regulatory Transparency
This disclosure highlights a key aspect of the UKGC's public register: it is a live database reflecting the current and recent regulatory status of operators, not a permanent historical archive. While a licence's status is shown as 'Surrendered' for three years, providing a window of transparency, the information is eventually purged.
For consumers, this means the public register is an effective tool for checking the current validity of a licence but has limitations for conducting long-term historical research on an operator's corporate structure or past regulatory standing. The information confirms that Bet365 has maintained a licensed presence in the UK through various corporate entities, with the changes reflecting internal restructuring rather than a lapse in regulation.