UKGC Withholds Data on Operator Consultant Use

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UKGC Cites Cost to Withhold Data on Third-Party Consultants

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has declined to release information regarding the use of a specific compliance consultancy by gambling operators, a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure reveals. The regulator cited excessive costs as the reason for withholding the data, which also sought to uncover the Commission's oversight of former licence holders now acting as industry consultants.

The Request for Transparency

In a request dated 8 April 2025, the Commission was asked to provide details on its operator assessment activities since 18 December 2023. The request specifically sought:

• The number of operators that have used the services of FRL Compliance Solutions Ltd during assessments.
• The names and licence numbers of those operators.
• Information shared by the UKGC with these operators about previous assessments involving FRL Compliance Solutions Ltd.
• Details of the Commission's work concerning former Personal Management Licence (PML) holders who now operate as freelance consultants, particularly those who have had their licence stripped or have surrendered it.

Why This Information Matters

Transparency around the consultants that operators use is a key consumer protection issue. It helps to show whether an operator is seeking expert, high-quality advice to improve its compliance or potentially using consultants to find loopholes. The request's focus on former PML holders with a negative regulatory history is particularly significant, as it questions whether individuals previously deemed unfit by the regulator are still influencing licensed operators.

The Commission's Response

The UKGC confirmed that it holds some information within the scope of the request but refused to provide it, invoking Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

This exemption allows public bodies to refuse requests where the cost of fulfilling them would exceed a set limit of £450, which equates to approximately 18 hours of staff time. The Commission stated that the requested information is not stored in an "extractable format" and would require a manual review of a "high volume of records" for each licensee.

In its response, the UKGC noted: "We estimate that it would take in excess of 18 hours to determine appropriate material and locate, retrieve and extract any relevant information in reference to your request."

Significance for Consumers and the Industry

The Commission's inability to easily extract this data highlights a potential gap in its monitoring and reporting capabilities. It suggests that the UKGC does not systematically track the involvement of third-party consultants in a way that is readily accessible for public scrutiny.

For consumers, this lack of transparency means key questions remain unanswered. It is not publicly known which operators are being advised by specific firms or by individuals who may have a history of regulatory failings. This information could be a crucial indicator of an operator's underlying compliance culture and its commitment to safer gambling.