UKGC Withholds Premises Data, Cites Public Reports
Regulator directs public to industry statistics for historical figures on land-based gambling venues, withholding a direct response.
The UK Gambling Commission has declined to provide a direct breakdown of historical gambling premises data, citing that the information is available in its public reports. The response to a Freedom of Information request highlights the process consumers must follow to track the changing landscape of high-street betting.
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UKGC Cites Existing Reports in Refusal to Provide Premises Data
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has withheld specific historical data on the number of licensed gambling premises in the UK, stating in a Freedom of Information (FOI) response that the information is already publicly available in its industry reports.
The decision highlights the process consumers and researchers must undertake to track the evolution of the UK's land-based gambling sector.
The Request and The Response
A request submitted on 25 February 2025 asked for a year-by-year breakdown of the number of businesses holding a premises licence from 2015 to 2024, with figures separated for the UK, England, Scotland, and Wales.
In its official response, the UKGC chose to withhold the information, invoking Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act. This exemption allows public bodies to refuse a request if the information is already considered "reasonably accessible elsewhere."
The regulator directed the requester to two public sources:
- The Gambling Industry Statistics Publication: The UKGC stated that its comprehensive annual statistics report contains historical data on gambling premises dating back to 2009. It specified that this information can be found within the downloadable Excel spreadsheets accompanying the publication.
- The Live Premises Register: The Commission also pointed to its live online register of gambling premises. However, it crucially noted that this register is updated nightly and that it does not retain historical records. This means the live register is not a viable source for the historical trend analysis the requester sought.
Furthermore, the UKGC clarified that it does not issue premises licences itself. This responsibility falls to local licensing authorities, such as local councils, in the area where the business is located.
What This Means for Consumers
This response reveals that while the UKGC does not provide tailored historical data on request, the figures are accessible to the public. However, the onus is placed on individuals to find, download, and analyse large statistical documents to obtain the information.
For consumers interested in the changing landscape of high-street gambling—such as the rise or fall of betting shops, arcades, and casinos in their region—this means the data is not available in a simple, easy-to-access format from the regulator. The response underscores that tracking the physical footprint of the gambling industry requires navigating official reports, rather than receiving a direct answer to a specific query.
The fact that the UKGC does not archive its own live premises register also indicates a potential data gap for those seeking to perform highly detailed, long-term analysis of the land-based sector.