Complaints about gambling operators
Request
I am seeking the following specific information:
The total number of complaints received from the public about gambling operators in the last 5 years.
The number of these complaints that were resolved in favour of the public.
The number of complaints specifically related to breaches of the Social Responsibility Code (LCCP) by operators.
Of these complaints, how many were resolved in favour of the public?
Information on whether you have received any inquiries or reports regarding requests for problem gambling refunds.
If yes, please provide details on the number of such inquiries or reports and information on how these were responded to.
Cases where the Gambling Commission is aware of instances where a gambling business has issued a refund to a problem gambler without the direction or instruction of a court or the Gambling Commission itself.
Please provide information on the number of such cases and any relevant details that can be disclosed.
The total amount of money transferred in each of the last five years by the top 10 UK betting companies, ranked by revenue, to organizations working with gambling-related harm.
Response
Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
In your email you have requested:
The total number of complaints received from the public about gambling operators in the last 5 years.
The number of these complaints that were resolved in favour of the public.
The number of complaints specifically related to breaches of the Social Responsibility Code (LCCP) by operators.
Of these complaints, how many were resolved in favour of the public?
Information on whether you have received any inquiries or reports regarding requests for problem gambling refunds.
If yes, please provide details on the number of such inquiries or reports and information on how these were responded to.
Cases where the Gambling Commission is aware of instances where a gambling business has issued a refund to a problem gambler without the direction or instruction of a court or the Gambling Commission itself.
Please provide information on the number of such cases and any relevant details that can be disclosed.
The total amount of money transferred in each of the last five years by the top 10 UK betting companies, ranked by revenue, to organizations working with gambling-related harm.
Please provide a year-by-year breakdown of these contributions.
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of dealing with them would exceed the appropriate limit, which for public authorities, such as the Commission, is set at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 18 hours in determining whether the department holds the information, locating, retrieving and extracting the information.
The information that you have requested is not held in one central location. We estimate, in order to identify, locate and retrieve the information relating to the above request, it would take in excess of 18 hours to determine appropriate material and locate, retrieve and extract any relevant information in reference to your request.
When a public authority applies the Section 12 exemption to a request, the FOIA guidance specifically states that a public authority should avoid providing any information found as a result of a search as it denies the requestor the right to express a preference as to which parts of the request they may wish to receive within the appropriate time limit. Guidance on the application of section 12 can be viewed here:
Requests where the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit (opens in a new tab)
If you are able to refine your request, we may be able to narrow the number of records that we need to search.
Until we are able to process the search of the information you have requested, we are unable to ascertain if other exemptions will apply to any material identified which would also prevent disclosure.
Please note, any refined request would be processed as a new request and the 20 working day statutory time limit would apply.
Review of the decision
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your Freedom of Information request you are entitled to an internal review of our decision. You should write to FOI Team, Gambling Commission, 4th floor, Victoria Square House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B2 4BP or by reply to this email.
Please note, internal review requests should be made within 40 working days of the initial response. Requests made outside this timeframe will not be processed.
If you are not content with the outcome of our review, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have already exhausted the review procedure provided by the Gambling Commission.
The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office (opens in a new tab), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Information Management Team
Gambling Commission
Victoria Square House
Victoria Square
Birmingham B2 4BP