UKGC Withholds Allwyn Lottery Sales Data

Article Content

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has refused to release detailed sales figures for the National Lottery since Allwyn took over as operator, a Freedom of Information (FOI) response has revealed. The regulator cited commercial confidentiality and the protection of trade secrets as the primary reasons for withholding the information.

The decision means that specific performance data, such as sales per game, will remain private until the operator publishes its first annual report.

Lack of Transparency

The FOI request, dated 12 February 2025, asked for a breakdown of National Lottery sales per game since Allwyn’s tenure began on 1 February 2024. The requester noted that, unlike the previous operator Camelot, Allwyn had not published performance reports on its website and had described the information as “sensitive”.

This lack of publicly available data is significant for consumers and industry observers, who are keen to assess the performance of the new operator. The transition to Allwyn marked the first change in the National Lottery’s management in its 30-year history, and its ability to generate returns for Good Causes is a matter of intense public interest.

The Regulator's Justification

The Gambling Commission confirmed it held the requested information but was exempting it from disclosure under two sections of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

In its response, the UKGC explained its reasoning:

• Section 41 (Information provided in confidence): The Commission stated that Allwyn provided the sales data with the expectation that it would remain confidential. The UKGC argued that releasing it would constitute a breach of confidence and could damage its working relationship with operators, potentially hindering its ability to regulate the industry effectively. The regulator concluded that the public interest in preserving confidentiality outweighed the interest in disclosure.

• Section 43 (Commercial interests): The UKGC agreed with Allwyn’s view that the detailed sales data constitutes a “trade secret.” Releasing this information, the Commission argued, could prejudice the commercial interests of the National Lottery. It could allow competitors to gain an unfair advantage, potentially impacting sales and, consequently, the amount of money raised for Good Causes.

When Will the Data Be Released?

While withholding the immediate data, the Commission provided a timeline for future transparency. The response noted that the information “is due to be published in at least some form by Allwyn via its Annual Report and Accounts, which are scheduled to be released by the end of June 2025.”

This indicates that while granular, real-time data will not be forthcoming, the public can expect a formal performance summary more than a year after the takeover. For now, players and watchdog groups must wait for the official corporate disclosure to learn how individual lottery games have performed under the new operator.