Defragment self-exclusion in the UK
Request
Are there any plans to defragment self-exclusion in the UK?
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 following:
‘Are there any plans to defragment self-exclusion in the UK.’
I can confirm the Commission does not hold information falling within the scope of your request.
However, we can advise that it is the Commission's intention to support the development of self-exclusion systems that make it easier for customers to self-exclude from the gambling sectors/operators they wish to, which would involve changes to both simplify how people can self-exclude and the controls in place for identification to support those who decide to self-exclude.
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.
It should be noted that if you wish to raise a complaint with the ICO about the Commission’s handling of your request for information, then you are required to do so within six weeks of receiving your final response or last substantive contact with us.
The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office (opens in new tab), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Information Management Team
Gambling Commission
Review Request
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Gambling Commission's handling of my FOI request 'Are there any plans to defragment self-exclusion in the UK?'.
The Gambling Commission have the power to change licensing conditions, powers granted by the gambling act 2005. The people that have the power to defragment are the gambling commission, but you didn't tell me this, you just said yous don't know, but yous do know, because you are the very people that is allowing harm to happen, whilst having the power to do something about it, yet you are not doing anything! By your own admission.
Image having the power to save millions of lives, and not using that power, and when someone asks you about it, you don't say this, instead you claim not to know. I'd like a proper answer to my legit question please.
Review Response
I am writing to you further to your Freedom of Information request dated 24/10/2025 which we responded to on 07/112025, and your subsequent request for an internal review received on 11/11/2025.
We have now concluded our review, and our findings are detailed below.
This internal review was conducted by someone who was not involved in the processing of your original request.
In your initial email you requested information with regard to if there any plans to defragment self-exclusion in the UK.
In our initial response, we advised that no information was held falling within the scope of your request.
In your request for an internal review, you have questioned our original decision as to whether information is held falling within the scope of your request.
Internal Review
Requests for Recorded Information
The FOIA covers all recorded information held by a public authority. It is not limited to official documents, and it covers information such as drafts, emails, notes, recordings of telephone conversations and CCTV recordings.
The FOIA only applies to information that a public authority already holds in recorded form at the time of a request. If we do not hold a particular piece of information that someone has asked for, we do not have to create it.
In accordance with the FOIA legislation, Section 1(4) states that information a requester is entitled to under section 1(1) is:
“the information in question held at the time when the request is received, except that account may be taken of any amendment or deletion made between that time and the time when the information is to be communicated under subsection (1)(b), being an amendment or deletion that would have been made regardless of the receipt of the request.”
Section 84 of FOIA defines “information” as:
“information recorded in any form.”
As previously advised, your request asking if there are any plans to defragment self-exclusion in the UK is not a valid request for recorded information as it is not information recorded in any form, and therefore we are unable to process your request in line with the FOIA legislation. I therefore uphold our original decision to refuse your request.
Duty to Assist
In accordance with subsection 16(1) of the FOIA, public authorities have a duty to provide advice and assistance to anyone who has made or is thinking of making a request for information. For example, if a request is received which is not valid under FOIA legislation, a public authority can provide advice and assistance to the applicant to help them bring the request within technical compliance of FOIA.
In addition, a public authority may decide to provide information to an applicant under restricted disclosure, whereby information is provided outside of the FOIA to that applicant alone.
Within our initial response the Commission provided additional information outside of the FOIA on this occasion.
We advised that it is the Commission's intention to support the development of self-exclusion systems that make it easier for customers to self-exclude from the gambling sectors/operators they wish to, which would involve changes to both simplify how people can self-exclude and the controls in place for identification to support those who decide to self-exclude.
The FOIA is not a method to receive such updates on potential or planned work as previously explained, as this is not a request for recorded information.
After reviewing your request and our response, we uphold our original decision. If you are not content with the outcome of your review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Gambling Commission. The ICO can be contacted at www.ico.gov.uk or at:
Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely,
Information Management Team
Gambling Commission