UKGC Lacks Historical Camelot Staff Data
FOI reveals regulator does not hold 30-year payroll records for former National Lottery operator.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed the UK Gambling Commission does not hold 30 years of historical payroll and staffing data for the former National Lottery operator, Camelot. The regulator confirmed this information is not required for its core functions of protecting players and overseeing the lottery's operation.
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Regulator Confirms It Does Not Hold Decades of Camelot Payroll Information
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) does not hold comprehensive, long-term staffing and payroll data for the companies that formed the Camelot Group, the former operator of the National Lottery.
The request, dated 13 August 2023, sought the total number of staff, including directors and board members, who had worked for or been on the payroll of eleven different Camelot-related companies since 1993.
Scope of the Request
The query covered a 30-year period and encompassed a wide range of corporate entities associated with the lottery operator, including:
- Camelot UK Lotteries Ltd
- Camelot Global Services Ltd
- National Lottery Enterprises Ltd
- Premier Lotteries UK Ltd
In its official response, the Gambling Commission stated that it does not hold the requested information. This highlights the specific scope of the data the regulator is required to collect to perform its duties.
Why the Data Isn't Held
The UKGC explained its position, clarifying its primary regulatory functions. The Commission stated, "The Commission is responsible for licensing and regulating the National Lottery, ensuring the interests of participants are protected and maximising returns for Good Causes."
It added that detailed historical payroll data "is not information we are required to collect to the extent of your request, in support of our regulatory functions." This indicates that while the UKGC oversees the operator's conduct and adherence to licence conditions, it does not act as a historical archive for corporate employment records.
For consumers and researchers, this response clarifies the boundaries of regulatory oversight. It shows that for deep historical corporate data, such as employee numbers over several decades, the regulator may not be the primary source. The UKGC directed the requester to publicly available documents, such as annual reports on the Camelot Group website and official filings on the UK government's Companies House service, as alternative sources for some of this information.
Significance for Regulatory Transparency
This disclosure provides valuable insight into the type and extent of data maintained by the UK's gambling regulator. While the Commission holds extensive information related to licence compliance, player protection, and financial returns to good causes, its data collection is tailored specifically to its statutory duties.
Consumers seeking to understand the historical scale and corporate structure of a major gambling operator learn that such information is more likely to be found in public corporate filings rather than within the regulator's direct records.