UKGC: No Data Held on National Lottery Winners

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A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) does not hold a central database of National Lottery prize winners. The disclosure clarifies the regulator's role and highlights the data it does and does not collect as part of its oversight duties.

In a response dated 3 October 2023 to a request filed on 19 September 2023, the UKGC addressed several questions from a National Lottery player seeking greater transparency. The response provides a clear insight into the boundaries of the Commission's data collection concerning the UK's largest lottery.

Key Data Disclosed and Withheld

The request was broken down into three parts, each receiving a distinct response from the gambling regulator.

1. List of Lottery Winners The player asked for a list of all lottery winners and the dates they won over the past five years. The UKGC stated plainly: "The Commission does not hold information on winners of the Lottery therefore this information is not held."

This confirms that while the operator (Camelot during the period in question, now Allwyn) is responsible for validating winners and paying prizes, this individual-level data is not passed to or stored by the regulator. For consumers, this means the UKGC's role is to ensure the operator runs the lottery fairly and according to its licence conditions, not to track individual prize claims.

2. Weekly Ticket Sales The request also sought information on the number of tickets sold per lottery, per week. After clarification, this was scoped to a three-year period. The UKGC complied with this part of the request, releasing a spreadsheet containing weekly ticket sales data from the week ending 27 June 2020 to the week ending 24 June 2023.

This data provides a significant, albeit high-level, view of public participation in the National Lottery over a three-year period. It allows for analysis of sales trends, the impact of large jackpots on ticket-buying behaviour, and the overall scale of the operation under the previous licence holder, Camelot.

3. Prize Money Breakdown A third question regarding the percentage breakdown of how lottery revenue is split before prizes are awarded was not answered. The UKGC stated it was "unable to process part three of your request" and asked for clarification, indicating the question was too ambiguous to identify the relevant information.

This serves as a reminder that the effectiveness of an FOI request often depends on the precision of its wording.

What This Means for Consumers

This FOI disclosure is significant for several reasons. It demystifies the role of the UKGC in relation to the National Lottery, establishing that its focus is on regulatory compliance rather than the day-to-day operational data of prize winners.

While the lack of a central winners' list may surprise some players, the release of three years of comprehensive sales data is a win for transparency. It provides concrete figures that can be used by researchers, journalists, and the public to scrutinise the performance and scale of one of the UK's most prominent gambling products.

Ultimately, the response directs consumers to the correct organisations for specific information. Queries about individual wins and prize claims are matters for the operator, Allwyn. Questions about regulatory compliance and high-level operational data, such as sales volume, can be directed to the Gambling Commission.