UKGC Pay Data: 416 Staff, Not Living Wage Accredited

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A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has provided a rare glimpse into the internal operations of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), detailing its workforce size, pay structure, and employment standards.

As of 31 March 2025, the UKGC directly employed 416 workers. The disclosure, prompted by a request dated 3 April 2025, offers consumers and industry observers key data points for assessing the regulator's capacity and internal policies.

Why This Data Matters

For consumers, the effectiveness of the UKGC in enforcing regulations and protecting players is paramount. The size and remuneration of its workforce can be indicators of its ability to tackle a complex and rapidly evolving industry. This data provides a baseline for transparency, allowing the public to understand the resources behind the organisation tasked with making gambling safer.

Key Findings from the Disclosure

The FOI response confirmed several key details about the Commission's activities:

• Workforce Size: The UKGC employed 416 staff at the end of the 2024/2025 financial year.
• Organisation Status: It is classified as a public organisation, with its head office located in the West Midlands.
• Pay Settlement: The latest pay agreement came into effect on 1 April 2024, delivering a standard pay increase of 4.6% across the board. This same percentage was applied to the lowest-paid employee.
• Minimum Salary: The Commission does not have specific job titles for its lowest-paid roles but stated it maintains a pay floor of £26,000 for all positions. Based on a standard 37-hour work week, this equates to an approximate hourly rate of £13.51.
• Union Recognition: The UKGC formally recognises the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), indicating a structured framework for employee relations.

Living Wage Accreditation

Perhaps one of the most notable revelations is the UKGC's employment standards. The Commission confirmed it is not an accredited Living Wage Foundation Employer.

While its stated pay floor of £26,000 per year is higher than the Living Wage Foundation's 2024-2025 recommended real Living Wage of £12.00 per hour (£13.15 in London), accreditation is a voluntary scheme that signals an employer's public commitment to fair pay. The lack of formal accreditation may be a point of interest for those monitoring the ethical standards of public bodies.

Significance and Transparency

This disclosure provides a valuable, if limited, snapshot of the regulator's internal structure. The next pay settlement date remains unconfirmed, pending Civil Service pay guidance for 2025/2026.

The Commission issued a partial exemption for one part of the request concerning its primary industrial classification (SIC) code, directing the applicant to a publicly available resource. While the core data on staffing and pay was released, this highlights the specific nature of FOI responses.

Overall, the data paints a picture of a mid-sized public body with a standardised pay structure. For consumers, this transparency is a step toward understanding the operational capacity of the very organisation designed to protect them.