UKGC Withholds Land-Based Breach Data
Regulator cites excessive costs to refuse release of compliance assessments for betting shops, casinos, and arcades.
The UK Gambling Commission has declined a Freedom of Information request for details on compliance checks and potential rule breaches at land-based gambling venues. The regulator stated that retrieving the data would exceed cost limits, leaving a gap in public transparency for the sector.
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UKGC Declines to Release Data on Land-Based Venue Compliance
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has withheld detailed information on compliance assessments and potential licence breaches at land-based gambling venues, citing the cost of retrieving the data. The decision came in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated 4 September 2025, which sought to uncover the regulator's findings from its checks on venues like betting shops, casinos, and arcades.
This refusal means that specific data on how well individual land-based operators are adhering to licence conditions, particularly those designed for consumer protection, remains unavailable to the public.
The Information Request
The FOI request asked the Commission to provide two key sets of information for the 2024-2025 period:
- A full list of all land-based assessments, including full 'corporate evaluations' and other compliance checks.
- The number of gambling companies that had breached their land-based licences, along with details of those breaches.
This data is important for consumers as it provides insight into how effectively gambling businesses are implementing rules on social responsibility, fairness, and preventing crime on their premises.
Why the UKGC Refused the Request
The UKGC confirmed that it holds the information but declined to provide it, invoking Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act. This section allows public authorities to refuse requests where the cost of compliance would exceed a set limit of £450, which equates to 18 hours of staff time.
In its response, the regulator explained the complexity of the task. It stated that its on-site assessments can only identify 'potential' breaches of a licence. A breach is only confirmed after a formal investigation is completed.
To answer the request, the Commission would have needed to:
- Search its systems to find the results of every land-based assessment.
- Manually review each record to identify 'potential' breaches.
- Determine if these records fell within the scope of the request.
The UKGC estimated this manual review process would take longer than the 18 hours permitted under the FOIA, and therefore refused on grounds of cost.
While the Commission did not provide the specific data requested, it pointed the requester to high-level, aggregated statistics on licensee compliance published on its website. However, this data does not offer a breakdown by operator or venue.
Significance for Consumers
The refusal highlights a significant gap in transparency regarding the compliance of the UK's land-based gambling sector. While the UKGC regularly publicises enforcement action against online operators, detailed information about day-to-day compliance and potential failings at physical venues is not readily accessible.
Without access to the outcomes of individual assessments, consumers, researchers, and communities cannot easily gauge the safety and compliance records of the betting shops, arcades, and casinos operating in their local areas. The decision leaves a key part of the gambling industry less open to public scrutiny.