UKGC Data Scrutiny, Comms Error Revealed

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A Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure has revealed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is in correspondence with the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) regarding its new flagship gambling survey. The response also contained an admission of an “error” in the regulator’s internal communications strategy for the survey’s launch.

The request, dated 7 February 2025, asked for all correspondence between the two public bodies since the start of 2024. While some information was released, the UKGC confirmed that other details are being withheld pending a forthcoming review by the OSR.

Context: Why This Matters

The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) is the UKGC’s new official methodology for measuring gambling participation and rates of harm across the country. It replaces the previous quarterly telephone surveys and its data is crucial for shaping government policy, regulatory enforcement, and public understanding of gambling-related issues.

Scrutiny from the OSR, the UK's independent statistics watchdog, is a standard part of ensuring that official statistics are trustworthy, high-quality, and valuable. This correspondence provides a glimpse into that process.

Details of the Disclosure

The UKGC released a partially redacted document containing communications between itself and the OSR. Key takeaways from the response include:

• Communications Strategy Error: The released information included a UKGC communications strategy for the GSGB Annual Report launch. The regulator noted an “error” within a ‘think/feel/do’ matrix in the document. According to the UKGC, the ‘think’ column incorrectly detailed how audiences might be thinking before the report’s release, rather than the intended future state after the communications were delivered. The Commission stated, “This does not alter how we communicate in general or in this case in particular.”

• Information Withheld: The UKGC has withheld some information under Section 22 of the FOIA, which exempts information intended for future publication. The regulator confirmed this information will be published by the OSR as part of its upcoming “light touch review” of the GSGB. The UKGC argued that the public interest in allowing the OSR to publish in an orderly manner outweighs the interest in immediate disclosure.

• Personal Data Redacted: Standard redactions were made under Section 40(2) to protect the personal data of individuals mentioned in the correspondence.

Significance for Consumers

This disclosure is significant for two main reasons. Firstly, it confirms that the new GSGB methodology is undergoing an official review by the Office for Statistics Regulation. For consumers, this provides assurance that the data used to measure gambling harm and inform safety policies is being independently assessed for quality and reliability.

Secondly, the revelation of the internal communications strategy, including the admitted error, offers a rare look at how the regulator prepares for major data releases. While the UKGC downplays the error's impact, the existence of such planning documents highlights the focus placed on managing the public and media narrative surrounding its official statistics. Consumers and researchers must wait for the OSR's formal review to see the full context of the correspondence and the watchdog's assessment of the UK's most important gambling data source.