UKGC Spent £107k on Agency Recruitment in 2022
FOI data reveals spending on temporary and permanent staff, including senior finance and regulatory roles.
The UK Gambling Commission spent over £107,000 on recruitment agencies in 2022, according to a Freedom of Information disclosure. The data shows a significant reliance on temporary staff for key positions, including an Interim Chief Financial Officer.
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A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) spent £107,091.79 on recruitment agencies in 2022 to fill both temporary and permanent positions.
The data, released following a request dated 20 January 2023, provides a snapshot of the regulator's staffing needs and operational expenditure for the 12-month period ending 31 December 2022. For consumers, this information offers a transparent look at how the UKGC, which is funded by operator licence fees, allocates resources to maintain its workforce.
Breakdown of Recruitment Spending
The total spend was divided across two categories: temporary/contractor staff and permanent staff.
Temporary & Contractor Staff
- Total Spend: £84,991.79
The majority of the agency spending was directed towards securing temporary staff. The roles filled highlight a need for specialised skills, often on a short-term or project basis. These positions included:
- Interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
- Interim planning and scheduling lead
- Financial Accountant
- Payroll Temp
- Personal Assistant
- Assistant Regulatory Caseworker
Permanent Staff
- Total Spend: £22,100.00
Agency fees for permanent hires were significantly lower. The roles sourced through agencies for permanent positions were:
- Vetting Officer
- Developer
- Financial Accountant
- Interim People Partner
What This Data Reveals
The spending figures and job titles indicate the diverse skill set required to run the UK's gambling regulator. The significant outlay on temporary staff, including a high-level Interim CFO, suggests the Commission needed to fill critical senior roles quickly or required specialist expertise for a defined period.
The recruitment of an Assistant Regulatory Caseworker points to the ongoing need for staff to handle compliance and enforcement activities, which are central to the UKGC's consumer protection mandate. Similarly, hiring a Developer and Vetting Officer underscores the increasing importance of technology and probity in modern gambling regulation.
Information Withheld by the Commission
The UKGC provided a partial response to the request. It declined to provide a financial breakdown of the spend per job title, citing data protection concerns. The Commission stated that linking specific costs to roles could potentially identify individuals and their salaries.
In its response, the UKGC argued: "These individuals have a legitimate expectation that their personal details will not be disclosed... On balance, there is no legitimate public interest in disclosing this information and it would not be fair to do so." This information was therefore withheld under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act.
Similarly, the Commission refused to name the individuals responsible for permanent and temporary recruitment, citing the same exemption and noting that they are not public-facing or senior enough to warrant public disclosure of their identities.