UKGC Withholds Spending Data, Cites Future Publication
Regulator uses FOI exemption to delay release of its Q3 2025 financial transparency report, promising publication 'in due course'.
The UK Gambling Commission has declined an immediate release of its spending data for July-September 2025. The regulator cited a Freedom of Information exemption for data intended for future publication, prioritising its set publication schedule.
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The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has withheld its own spending and transparency data for the third quarter of 2025, following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
In a response dated 8 December 2025, the regulator declined to immediately provide the data, which covers its financial activities from July to September 2025. Instead, the UKGC invoked a legal exemption, stating the information is already scheduled for future publication.
The Request for Transparency
A member of the public submitted an FOI request after noticing the Commission's spending data for Q3 2025 was not available on its website. The request asked for clarification on the publication date and for a copy of the file to be sent directly.
This data falls under the Cabinet Office's disclosure requirements, a government-wide initiative designed to promote transparency by requiring public bodies to publish details of their expenditure. For consumers, this information provides insight into how the UKGC, which is funded by licence fees from gambling operators, allocates its resources.
The UKGC's Justification
The Commission refused the request by applying Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This section provides an exemption for information that a public authority holds with the intention of publishing it at a later date.
The UKGC explained that it publishes this data bi-annually, in May and November, and that the requested information would be made available on its website "in due course" as part of this schedule.
As Section 22 is a qualified exemption, the Commission is required to conduct a public interest test. It must weigh the public interest in immediate disclosure against the interest in maintaining the exemption.
In its response, the UKGC acknowledged the "legitimate public interest in promoting the accountability and transparency of public authorities." However, it argued that this was outweighed by the need to maintain a cost-effective publication schedule. The Commission stated that responding to individual FOI requests for this data before the scheduled publication date was not an efficient use of its time and resources.
What This Means for Consumers
While the spending data has not been permanently denied, the Commission's decision means a delay in public scrutiny of its finances for the period in question. The response highlights a common tension in transparency: the public's desire for immediate access versus a public body's adherence to its internal processes and publication timetables.
The UKGC concluded that its publication schedule is reasonable and that there was no overriding public interest that would justify releasing the information ahead of its planned schedule. The data for July to September 2025 is now expected to be released as part of the Commission's next scheduled transparency update.