UKGC: No Central List of Active Betting Shops
FOI response reveals premises licensing data is held by local authorities, not the national regulator.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed the UK Gambling Commission does not hold a definitive list of all active betting shops. The regulator confirmed that this data is managed by individual local authorities, highlighting a fragmentation in how the industry's physical presence is tracked.
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UKGC Confirms It Does Not Hold Definitive Betting Shop Data
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) does not hold a central, historical list of all active betting shops operating in the country. The disclosure highlights a key aspect of UK gambling regulation: the division of responsibilities between the national regulator and local authorities.
In a request dated 14 August 2023, the applicant asked for a complete list of active betting shops as of 31 July 2023, including their name, address, and the local authority under which they operate.
The Commission's Response
The UKGC responded by stating that no information falling within the scope of the request was held by the organisation. The regulator clarified its role, explaining that it does not issue premises licences for gambling businesses. This responsibility falls to individual local licensing authorities, typically the local council for the area where the shop is located.
While the Commission maintains a public register of gambling premises on its website, it issued a significant caveat. The UKGC stated:
- The data is a live view and cannot be used to provide a snapshot from a specific date in the past.
- The Commission cannot provide assurances on the completeness or accuracy of the data, as it is supplied by local authorities.
Anyone seeking a definitive and historically accurate list of premises would need to contact each individual licensing authority directly.
Why This Matters for Consumers
The lack of a single, authoritative national database of betting shop locations presents challenges for transparency and research. For consumers, researchers, and campaign groups, obtaining a clear, nationwide picture of the density and distribution of high street bookmakers is a complex task. It requires collating data from hundreds of separate local authorities, each with its own processes.
This fragmentation means that tracking trends in the retail betting sector, such as the number of shop closures or openings over time, cannot be easily accomplished using a central resource. While the UKGC regulates the companies that operate these shops, the oversight of their physical locations is decentralised.
This response underscores the dual-track nature of gambling regulation in the UK, where the operator's licence is a national issue handled by the UKGC, but the licence for the physical premises is a local one.