UKGC Withholds 10-Year Gambling Suicide Data
Regulator cites cost to refuse full disclosure, despite confirming it holds records of customer deaths since 2016.
The UK Gambling Commission has refused a Freedom of Information request for ten years of data on customer suicides linked to gambling, citing excessive cost. The regulator confirmed it holds records since 2016 and highlighted a new rule from April 2024 that mandates operators to report such deaths.
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Regulator Refuses to Release Decade of Data on Customer Suicides
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has withheld ten years of data related to customer suicides, following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted on 22 May 2024. The regulator cited the excessive cost of retrieving historical information as the reason for the refusal, despite confirming that it holds relevant records.
The request sought annual figures for the last decade on the number of gambling operators who had notified the Commission of a customer suicide, as well as the total number of such deaths the UKGC had been made aware of through any source, including families and media reports.
Why This Data Matters
Data on the number of suicides potentially linked to gambling is a critical indicator of the most severe harms associated with the industry. For consumers, transparency on this issue is vital for understanding the risks and the effectiveness of regulatory safeguards. Campaigners and researchers rely on this information to assess industry practices and advocate for stronger player protection measures. The withholding of this data leaves a significant gap in public knowledge about the scale of gambling-related harm in the UK.
Details of the Refusal
The UKGC confirmed that it does hold information within the scope of the request. However, it invoked Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, which allows public bodies to refuse requests if the cost of fulfilling them exceeds £450, equivalent to 18 hours of staff time.
According to the response, providing data for the full ten-year period would require an extensive manual review of archived documents from before 2016. The Commission noted that information for the years 2016 to 2024 is “readily available” but was not provided because the original request was too broad. The regulator stated that it may be able to provide data for a narrower period, such as 2016-2024, if a new, refined request is submitted.
In its response, the UKGC clarified that it does not investigate causes of death, as this is the role of a coroner. However, it will investigate an operator if a death appears to be linked to a regulatory breach.
Significance and New Reporting Rules
While the historical data remains undisclosed, the UKGC’s response highlights a significant recent change in industry regulation. As of 1 April 2024, a new condition in the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) came into effect. This rule now legally requires licensed operators to inform the Commission whenever they become aware of a customer death by suicide.
This development marks a major shift towards mandatory reporting and increased regulatory oversight. Previously, such reporting was not a formal requirement. The new rule ensures that the UKGC will have a more direct and consistent stream of data on gambling-related suicides moving forward.
The refusal to release the full historical data means that, for now, a complete ten-year picture of the problem remains unavailable to the public. However, the confirmation that records exist from 2016 onwards, combined with the new mandatory reporting rules, suggests that transparency on this critical issue may improve in the future.