UKGC: No Historical Betting Shop Data Held
FOI response reveals regulator does not retain past records of licensed premises, complicating trend analysis.
The UK Gambling Commission cannot provide historical figures on the number of betting shops, a Freedom of Information response has confirmed. The regulator explained its premises register is a live document and not archived, meaning trend analysis of the high street betting market is not possible using its data. This highlights a significant data gap for researchers and the public.
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UKGC Unable to Provide Historical Betting Shop Numbers
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) does not hold historical data on the number of licensed betting shops operating in the country. The response highlights a significant gap in centralised data, making it difficult to track long-term trends in the high street gambling sector.
The Request and the Commission's Response
The request, dated 23 December 2025, asked the regulator for the total number of betting shops open in the UK as of December 2024 and December 2025.
In its response, the UKGC stated that it does not hold the requested information. The Commission explained that while it publishes a live register of all gambling premises on its website, this information is updated nightly and generated dynamically from live systems.
Crucially, the regulator confirmed: "The Gambling Commission does not retain historical records or previously published versions of the premises licence register... As such, we do not hold specific records of premises licences for previous years."
Why This Data Matters
For consumers, researchers, and policymakers, tracking the number of betting shops over time is a key indicator of the gambling industry's physical presence and its evolution. This data is often used to analyse the impact of regulatory changes, such as the 2019 reduction in Fixed-Odds Betting Terminal (FOBT) stakes, which was widely expected to lead to shop closures.
The UKGC's inability to provide these historical figures means there is no single, official source for this data. The regulator's role is to license gambling operators, but the physical premises themselves are licensed by local authorities.
Implications for Transparency and Research
The Commission's response clarifies that obtaining a complete historical picture of the UK's betting shop landscape would require contacting hundreds of individual local licensing authorities. This presents a considerable challenge for anyone seeking to conduct national-level analysis.
Furthermore, the UKGC added a caveat that it "cannot provide any assurances on the completeness and accuracy" of even its live data, as the primary responsibility for premises licensing lies with local councils.
This disclosure underscores a limitation in the UK's gambling regulatory framework. While the UKGC oversees operators, the lack of a centralised, archived database of premises makes it difficult to monitor and report on the changing face of high street betting with precision.