FOI: No UKGC Staff Declarations for Metropolitan Casinos
Regulator holds no records of gifts, hospitality, or conflicts of interest from the major casino operator, a new disclosure reveals.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure reveals the UK Gambling Commission holds no records of its staff declaring gifts, hospitality, or conflicts of interest involving Metropolitan casinos. The finding provides a data point on the regulator's impartiality concerning the major land-based operator.
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A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) holds no recorded information of its staff declaring any interests, gifts, or hospitality from Metropolitan casinos.
The request, dated 5 January 2026, specifically asked for “all declarations of interests, conflicts of interests or gifts & hospitality by Gambling Commission staff from Metropolitan casinos (formerly Caesars entertainment).”
In its official response, the regulator stated, “I can confirm that no recorded information falling within the scope of your request is held by the Gambling Commission.”
Why This Matters for Consumers
For the UK gambling market to be considered fair and safe, the regulator must operate with impartiality. Policies requiring staff to declare gifts, hospitality, or potential conflicts of interest are designed to ensure that regulatory decisions are not influenced by relationships with licensed operators.
This disclosure provides a snapshot of the recorded interactions—or lack thereof—between UKGC staff and a prominent land-based casino operator. For consumers, the absence of any declarations concerning Metropolitan casinos can be seen as an indicator that, based on official records, no potential conflicts have been identified or registered by staff in relation to this operator.
Breakdown of the Findings
The FOI request covered three key areas of potential influence:
- Declarations of Interest: Any personal, financial, or professional interests an employee might have in an organisation that could conflict with their duties.
- Conflicts of Interest: Situations where an employee's private interests could influence their professional obligations to the detriment of the UKGC.
- Gifts & Hospitality: The acceptance of items, meals, or entertainment from a licensed operator, which must be declared to ensure transparency.
The UKGC’s response that it holds “no recorded information” means that a search of its official registers found zero entries matching the request for Metropolitan casinos. This includes the period when the operator was known as Caesars Entertainment UK.
Significance for Regulatory Transparency
This finding underscores the function of the UKGC's transparency framework. The Commission maintains public registers for staff interests, gifts, and hospitality to provide oversight and build public confidence. While this specific request yielded no results, it confirms that a system for logging such declarations is in place.
The outcome does not speculate on whether any interactions occurred, only that none were officially recorded by staff in the Commission's registers. For consumers and industry observers, this data point contributes to the overall picture of the relationship between the regulator and the companies it oversees, reinforcing the standards of conduct expected from UKGC employees.