UKGC Withholds Data on Illegal Site Crackdown
Regulator cites excessive cost and data format issues in refusing to name unlicensed operators it has targeted since 2021.
The UK Gambling Commission has declined a Freedom of Information request for a list of illegal gambling websites it has taken action against since 2021. The regulator cited excessive costs to retrieve the data, leaving consumers and the industry without a clear record of its specific enforcement activities against the black market.
Article Content
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has withheld specific data on its enforcement actions against illegal online gambling operators, citing excessive costs and logistical challenges in retrieving the information.
The decision came in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated 10 October 2024, which asked for a comprehensive list of all unlicensed websites targeted by the regulator since 2021.
This lack of disclosure means consumers and the industry remain without a clear, public record of the specific black-market operators the UKGC has identified and acted against over the past four years.
The Information Requested
The FOI request sought detailed records of the Commission's efforts to combat unlicensed gambling in Great Britain. Specifically, it asked for:
- A list of all cease and desist notices and disruption notices issued to illegal online gambling operators between 2021 and 1 October 2024, including operator and website names.
- A list of all websites the UKGC requested search engines and internet service providers (ISPs) to block during the same period, including the outcome of each request.
This data is crucial for understanding the scale of the illegal online market and assessing the effectiveness of the UKGC's strategy to protect British consumers from unregulated sites, which offer no player protection or dispute resolution mechanisms.
Why the Information Was Withheld
The Gambling Commission confirmed that it holds information falling within the scope of the request but refused to provide it, invoking Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act. This section allows public bodies to decline requests where the cost of compliance would exceed £450, equivalent to 18 hours of staff time.
According to the response, data on enforcement actions is only "readily available" from the start of the 2023 financial year. Information prior to this is reportedly stored in a different, non-extractable format, which would require a manual review of large volumes of information stored across multiple departments.
The UKGC estimated that fulfilling the request in its entirety would take "in excess of 18 hours."
Notably, the Commission chose not to release the post-2023 data that it described as "readily available." It justified this by citing FOIA guidance that advises against providing partial information, instead encouraging the requester to submit a more refined, narrower request.
Significance for Consumers
The refusal to release this data creates a transparency gap regarding the UKGC's fight against the online black market. While the Commission states that tackling unlicensed gambling is a key part of its remit to keep crime out of gambling, the public cannot currently see a detailed breakdown of these enforcement activities.
Without access to lists of targeted sites, it is difficult for consumers, researchers, and the industry to:
- Gauge the number and type of illegal sites actively targeting British players.
- Assess the success rate of the UKGC's takedown and disruption efforts.
- Identify specific unregulated operators to avoid.
The Commission also noted that even if the request were narrowed, another exemption, Section 31 (Law Enforcement), could potentially apply. It argued that disclosing such information could undermine its ability to carry out its statutory functions, which it stated is "strongly not in the public interest."