Football Index: 300+ UKGC Records on Suspension Withheld
FOI request reveals high volume of internal communication in the week before the operator's collapse, but details were refused.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed the UK Gambling Commission holds over 300 internal records relating to the suspension of BetIndex (Football Index) in the week before its collapse. The regulator refused to release the documents, citing the cost of compliance, leaving its decision-making process during the high-profile failure shielded from public view.
Article Content
UKGC Withholds Over 300 Records on Football Index Suspension
A Freedom of Information (FOI) response has revealed the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) holds more than 300 internal records relating to the suspension of BetIndex Limited, which traded as Football Index, from the week leading up to its collapse. The regulator refused to release any of the documents, citing the cost of reviewing the material.
Context: Scrutinising a Regulatory Failure
The request, dated 13 March 2021, was filed the day after the UKGC suspended BetIndex's operating licence. The collapse of the Football Index platform resulted in substantial consumer losses, estimated to be in the millions, and triggered an independent government review of the events leading to the failure.
This FOI request sought to access internal emails and formal advice among UKGC Directors between 5 March and 11 March 2021. The goal was to understand the decision-making process that culminated in the invocation of section 118(2) of the Gambling Act 2005—the legal power used to suspend the licence. For consumers who lost money, this information could provide insight into what the regulator knew and why it acted when it did.
The Data: A High Volume of Communication
The UKGC's response did not provide the requested correspondence but did reveal the volume of potentially relevant records it identified. To fulfil the request, the Commission ran two searches on its internal systems:
- A search for records containing "118(2)" AND "BetIndex" OR "Football Index" generated 35 records.
- A broader search for "suspension" AND "BetIndex" OR "Football Index" generated 286 records.
In total, 321 records were identified as potentially relevant to the request for information about the suspension decision.
The Commission refused to process the request under Section 12 of the FOIA, which allows public authorities to deny requests where the cost of compliance would exceed £450, equivalent to 18 hours of staff time. The UKGC stated that reviewing all 321 records to extract the relevant material would take longer than this limit.
Significance: Transparency Denied
While the content of the communications remains secret, the figures themselves are significant. The high number of records indicates a flurry of activity and discussion at the highest levels of the UKGC in the days before it suspended Football Index. The 286 mentions of "suspension" suggest the topic was a major focus of the organisation as the crisis unfolded.
For consumers and transparency advocates, the refusal to release the information is a source of frustration. It means the internal deliberations of the regulator during a critical consumer protection failure remain shielded from public view. The use of the cost exemption, while permitted under the law, prevents scrutiny and leaves key questions about the timeline and rationale for the UKGC's actions unanswered.