UKGC Withholds 2025 National Lottery Sales Data
Regulator cites commercial interests and confidentiality in refusal to release current figures for operator Allwyn.
The UK Gambling Commission has refused to release current National Lottery sales data, citing commercial sensitivity. While providing data from 2015-2024, the regulator deemed 2025 figures a 'trade secret' belonging to operator Allwyn, delaying public scrutiny.
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UKGC Cites Commercial Sensitivity in Refusal of Lottery Data Request
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has withheld recent National Lottery sales figures, classifying the information as a commercially sensitive "trade secret". The decision came in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated 11 November 2025, which asked for a monthly breakdown of sales from January 2015 to October 2025.
While the regulator provided a decade of historical data, its refusal to release current figures limits public scrutiny of the National Lottery's performance under its new operator, Allwyn.
The Request and The Response
The request sought monthly sales data split between draw-based games, instant-win scratchcards, and interactive online games. In a partial disclosure, the Commission provided weekly sales data from January 2015 to December 2024, but refused to provide any data from the current calendar year (2025).
The UKGC justified its refusal by engaging two exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
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Section 41 (Information provided in confidence): The regulator stated that the operator, Allwyn, provided the sales data with the expectation of confidentiality. The UKGC argued that disclosing this information would constitute a breach of confidence and could damage its ability to receive sensitive information from licensees in the future, thereby hindering its regulatory functions.
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Section 43 (Commercial interests): The Commission agreed with Allwyn's view that the recent sales data constitutes a "trade secret". It also argued that releasing the information would likely prejudice the commercial interests of Allwyn and the National Lottery. The UKGC suggested that competitors could use the data to adapt their own strategies, which could negatively impact the National Lottery's ability to raise funds for Good Causes.
What This Means for Consumers and Transparency
This decision highlights the ongoing tension between the public's right to information and the protection of commercial interests in the gambling industry. While the release of historical data provides valuable long-term insight, the lack of current data prevents a timely, independent analysis of Allwyn's performance since it began operating the lottery.
The UKGC's public interest test concluded that the need to protect Allwyn's commercial position and the integrity of its own regulatory relationships outweighed the public interest in immediate transparency.
The Commission noted that the information is expected to be published "in at least some form" by Allwyn in its Annual Report and Accounts, which are scheduled for release by the end of June 2026. However, this means the public and researchers must wait over a year for official figures, which may not be as detailed as the data originally requested.