UKGC Can't Count Land-Based Bettors
FOI response reveals a significant data gap in the regulator's understanding of the UK's retail gambling market.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed the UK Gambling Commission does not hold data on the total number of individuals who gamble in person. This information gap raises questions about the regulator's ability to fully monitor the land-based sector, including betting shops and casinos.
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Regulator Admits It Does Not Know How Many People Gamble In-Person
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) does not know the total number of people who place bets in land-based venues such as betting shops, casinos, and bingo halls. This was confirmed in a response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request published on 31 May 2024.
The admission highlights a significant gap in the regulator's data on the UK gambling market, particularly as the industry undergoes major reforms following the government's review of the Gambling Act 2005.
Why This Data Matters
For consumers, understanding the true size and scope of the gambling market is crucial for context. Official statistics inform public debate, policy decisions, and harm prevention strategies. While online gambling activity can be tracked with precision through individual accounts, this disclosure reveals that the same level of oversight does not exist for the anonymous, in-person environment.
Without knowing the total number of unique individuals participating in land-based gambling, it is challenging to accurately assess market trends, participation rates, or the true reach of the retail sector.
Details of the FOI Request
The request asked the Gambling Commission for a simple figure: "how many people in the UK, in total, are currently placing land-based bets?" It also requested figures for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023 if a current total was unavailable.
The UKGC's response was unequivocal, stating that the information was not held. The regulator explained its position:
"We currently do not have a way of collecting the number of people in the UK, in total, that are currently placing land-based bets. As such there is no information held by the Commission falling within the scope of your request."
The Commission directed the requester to its general 'Statistics and Research' data, which includes survey-based estimates of gambling participation rather than a definitive count of individuals.
Significance and Industry Implications
This information gap is a key distinction between the online and land-based gambling sectors. Online operators hold detailed data on every customer, which the UKGC can access for regulatory purposes. In contrast, the cash-based, anonymous nature of much land-based betting makes it inherently difficult to track unique users.
While the UKGC collects data on Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) from land-based operators, this measures how much money is spent, not how many people are spending it. A small number of high-staking players could generate the same GGY as a large number of casual bettors.
This lack of precise data on participation could impact the effectiveness of future regulatory policies aimed at the land-based sector. It underscores the challenges regulators face in achieving a complete, data-led picture of the entire gambling landscape, a crucial element for effective consumer protection.