UKGC Lacks Regional Bingo Data

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Regulator Admits to Bingo Data Blind Spot

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) does not hold data on the regional performance of licensed bingo premises, a Freedom of Information (FOI) response has revealed. This admission highlights a significant gap in the regulator's ability to monitor the health of the land-based bingo sector across different parts of Great Britain.

For consumers and local communities, bingo halls can be important social venues. Understanding whether these businesses are thriving or struggling on a regional level is crucial for assessing the industry's condition and the impact of regulation. The absence of this data means that players, policymakers, and local authorities have an incomplete picture of the sector's vitality.

The Request and The Response

In a request dated 12 August 2025, a user asked the UKGC for the total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) from licensed bingo premises for the last five years. GGY is a key industry metric, representing the amount retained by operators after paying out winnings but before deducting operating costs.

To protect commercially sensitive information, the request specifically asked for the data to be aggregated by the 12 standard UK Government Office Regions, such as the North West or London. This approach would have provided a valuable overview of regional trends without identifying any individual bingo operator.

However, the UKGC responded that it was unable to provide the information, stating simply: "We do not hold data that gives us Bingo GGY by region."

The Commission pointed the requester towards its published Industry Statistics, which provide a national overview of the gambling industry. While these statistics include national-level figures for bingo, they do not offer the geographical breakdown that was requested, thereby masking any potential regional variations.

Significance: A Regulatory Blind Spot

The UKGC's inability to provide regional bingo data reveals a potential blind spot in its oversight of the sector. National-level statistics can be misleading; a stable overall GGY figure for the country could conceal a significant decline in one region being offset by growth in another.

This lack of granular data has several key implications:

• Informed Policymaking: Without regional performance data, it is more difficult for the regulator and government to formulate evidence-based policies. Targeted support for struggling areas or specific regulatory interventions cannot be effectively designed without first identifying where they are needed.
• Market Intelligence: The admission raises questions about the depth of the Commission's market intelligence. While individual operators track their own regional performance, the national regulator does not appear to collect or collate this information for a sector-wide view.
• Consumer Insight: For consumers, the lack of official regional data means there is no independent source to verify the health of the bingo industry at a local level. This makes it harder to understand the pressures facing local clubs and the broader trends affecting the communities they serve.