UKGC Withholds Operator List, Cites Raw Data File
Regulator directs public to complex spreadsheets for information on licensed gambling companies, citing data is 'reasonably accessible elsewhere'.
The UK Gambling Commission declined a Freedom of Information request for a list of all licensed operators, telling the applicant to instead download and analyse a complex spreadsheet. This response highlights a significant barrier to transparency for consumers seeking to understand the UK gambling market.
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UKGC Cites Public Data in Refusal to Provide Operator List
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has declined to provide a simple list of all licensed gambling operators and their products in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, stating the information is already publicly available in a raw data format that requires technical analysis.
The request, dated 5 May 2024, asked for a comprehensive list of companies licensed to sell gambling products in the UK and the number of products offered by each. The regulator formally classified the information as “withheld” under the FOIA.
A Barrier to Transparency
For consumers, researchers, and journalists, obtaining a clear overview of the UK's regulated gambling market directly from the regulator is not straightforward. The UKGC's response places the burden of data collection and analysis onto the public, requiring a level of technical skill that acts as a barrier to easy access and scrutiny.
While the data is technically public, it is not presented in a readily accessible or user-friendly format. This distinction is crucial for genuine transparency, as it limits the ability of non-technical individuals to understand the scale and composition of the UK's gambling industry.
Details of the Response
The UKGC invoked Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act, which provides an exemption for information that is “reasonably accessible elsewhere.”
In its response, the Commission directed the applicant to its public register of gambling businesses. It specified that to obtain the requested information, a user must:
- Download a large Excel file named 'business-licence-register.xlsx'.
- Identify active operators from the 'businesses' tab.
- Use spreadsheet functions, such as a VLOOKUP, to cross-reference the 'businesses' tab with the 'licences' tab.
- Collate and count the individually licensed functions for each operator to determine the number of products they offer.
Significance for Consumers
This approach means that answering a fundamental question—which companies are licensed to operate in the UK and what can they offer?—requires data processing skills. The information is not available as a simple list or report.
This method of data release, often termed a “data dump,” makes it challenging for the public to hold the industry and the regulator to account. It underscores the need for consumer protection resources that can dedicate the time and expertise to analyse such data and present the findings in a clear, understandable way. By not providing the information in a simple format, the UKGC makes it more difficult for consumers to be fully informed about the operators they may be using.