UKGC Lacks Data on B1 Gaming Machine Suppliers

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A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) does not hold data on the number of high-stakes B1 gaming machines in the UK, broken down by their manufacturer or supplier.

The disclosure highlights a significant gap in the available data concerning the highest-stakes segment of the UK's gaming machine market.

The Request and the Response

On 3 December 2025, an FOI request was submitted to the Gambling Commission asking for the total number of licensed B1 gaming machines in the UK, categorised by manufacturer. The request specified that it was only for unit counts, not for any commercially sensitive financial or performance data.

In its official response, the UKGC stated that it was unable to provide the information because it does not hold it. The Commission confirmed: "we do not hold information regarding the total number of licensed B1 gaming machines in the UK broken down by manufacturer / supplier."

This type of response, "Information not held," means the data is not collected or stored by the public authority as part of its regular operations. It is not a refusal to release information, but an admission that the information does not exist within the organisation.

Why B1 Machine Data Matters

B1 gaming machines represent the top tier of machine gambling permitted in the UK. Under the Gambling Act 2005, these machines are restricted to licensed casino premises. They are permitted to accept a maximum stake of £5 and can offer a maximum prize of £10,000.

For consumers and researchers, data on the market share of different machine suppliers is crucial for several reasons:

• Market Transparency: It would provide a clear picture of which companies dominate the supply of high-stakes gaming machines to UK casinos.
• Product Analysis: Researchers could use this data to analyse if machines from specific manufacturers have features that are more associated with longer play sessions or higher spending.
• Regulatory Oversight: While the UKGC licenses the operators, understanding the supply chain provides a more complete view of the ecosystem. A lack of this data creates a blind spot in public knowledge about the hardware used for high-stakes gambling.

Significance of the Disclosure

The UKGC's response confirms that it is not possible, using publicly held regulatory data, to determine the market share of different B1 machine manufacturers. This limits the ability of independent analysts and the public to scrutinise the B1 machine sector.

Without a central record of machine suppliers, any analysis of the B1 market is dependent on data that may be held privately by casino operators or the manufacturers themselves. The Commission's confirmation that it does not collect this specific information means a key dataset for understanding the high-stakes machine landscape remains unavailable to the public.