UKGC Withholds Lottery Financials
Regulator cites commercial sensitivity in refusal to release data on individual society lottery proceeds and good cause contributions.
The UK Gambling Commission has refused to release detailed financial data for individual large society lotteries, citing commercial sensitivity. The decision means consumers cannot compare how much different lotteries return to good causes versus what they pay in prizes and operating costs.
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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has refused to release detailed financial information for individual large society lotteries, a decision that prevents public comparison of how much money each lottery raises for good causes.
In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated 15 December 2025, the regulator confirmed it holds the data but will not publish it, citing risks to operators' commercial interests. The decision means consumers cannot access operator-specific figures on proceeds, prize funds, and charitable donations.
What Information Was Requested?
Large society lotteries are run for the benefit of non-commercial organisations, such as charities or community groups, and are a significant source of fundraising in the UK. Consumers often participate with the understanding that a portion of their ticket price supports a good cause.
The FOI request sought a breakdown for the 2024 calendar year for each large society lottery, asking for:
- The name of the lottery operator
- Total gross proceeds declared
- The amount returned to good causes
- The amount paid out in prizes
This data would allow for direct, like-for-like comparisons of the financial efficiency and charitable returns of different lotteries, empowering consumers to make more informed decisions about which causes to support.
The Commission's Refusal
The UKGC withheld the information under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, which provides an exemption if disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any person.
In its public interest test, the Commission acknowledged arguments for disclosure, including promoting transparency and public confidence. However, it ultimately sided with maintaining the exemption, arguing that:
- Licensed operators have a reasonable expectation of confidentiality regarding this level of financial detail.
- Releasing the data could give competitors an unfair commercial advantage.
- It could lead to "unjustified inferences" being made about operators without full context.
- Disclosure might discourage operators from providing information to the Commission in the future.
The UKGC concluded that there was a greater than 50% chance that releasing the data would cause prejudice to the commercial interests of its licensees and that the public interest was best served by withholding it. The Commission noted that aggregated and anonymised industry data is already available to the public.
Significance for Consumers
While the UKGC is tasked with regulating the gambling industry, this decision highlights the ongoing tension between commercial confidentiality and public transparency. Without access to operator-specific data, consumers are unable to scrutinise the performance of individual society lotteries.
It remains impossible for the public to verify which lotteries return a higher percentage of their proceeds to their stated good causes versus those that spend more on prizes and operating expenses. This lack of transparency means consumers must rely on the aggregated data published by the Commission, which masks the performance of individual operators.