Omaze Correspondence
Request
- Whether or not emails from representatives of Hanbury Strategy and Communications to members of the department/agency with the term "Omaze" exist. The contents of those emails, if they exist. I am requesting information from April 2025 to June 2025 thus far but can narrow the scope of the dates, if necessary.
- Whether meetings from Hanbury took place with department officials to discuss Omaze. The meeting minutes, agenda, and other related documents associated with those meetings in the same time frame.
Response
Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
In your email you have requested:
- Whether or not emails from representatives of Hanbury Strategy and Communications to members of the department/agency with the term "Omaze" exist. The contents of those emails, if they exist. I am requesting information from April 2025 to June 2025 thus far but can narrow the scope of the dates, if necessary.
- Whether meetings from Hanbury took place with department officials to discuss Omaze. The meeting minutes, agenda, and other related documents associated with those meetings in the same time frame.
The Commission is a regulatory body with licensing, compliance, and enforcement functions; through our regulatory activity, the Commission aims to protect consumers and the wider public, and to raise standards in the gambling industry.
Omaze can be categorised as a free draw or prize competition and are free from regulation under the Gambling Act 2005 (the Act).
Further information relating to Free draws and prize competitions can be viewed on our website: Free draws and prize competitions - Gambling Commission.
These pages explain what does and does not fall within our regulatory remit. The Gambling Commission works within the confines of what the current legislation sets out.
However, our focus is to protect consumers and the wider public, and to raise standards in the gambling industry through targeted action and collecting evidence to inform and influence our disruption and enforcement approach to the illegal gambling market. Our aim is to deter individuals from engaging in non-compliant and harmful activity.
The Gambling Commission do not provide comment on any information held regarding specific correspondence or meetings unless it is in the public interest to do so. As such, we are unable to confirm or deny whether we hold any information falling within the scope of your request. Section 31(3) of the FOIA (Law Enforcement) exemption therefore applies.
Section 31
Section 31(3) (“Law Enforcement”) provides that the duty to confirm or deny does not arise if, or to the extent that compliance with section 1(1)(a) would or would be likely to, prejudice any of the matters mentioned in subsection (1).
Public interest test
Having acknowledged that the Commission is not able to confirm or deny whether we hold any information within the scope of your request, section 31 of the FOIA requires that we consider a public interest test to identify whether there is a wider public interest in fulfilling this request as opposed to maintaining the exemption.
Arguments in favour of disclosure
- We acknowledge that there is a legitimate public interest in promoting the accountability and transparency of the Commission.
- Further to this, it is important that there is sufficient information in the public domain, so consumers have an understanding of the regulatory activity that the Commission is taking with specific organisations to enable them to make informed decisions regarding their choice of business.
Arguments in favour of maintaining the exemption
- Confirming or denying correspondence or meeting information which makes specific individuals or events identifiable could alert individuals involved to the fact that the Commission was/is or alternatively wasn’t/isn’t investigating a particular case and provide them with an opportunity to alter their behaviours or evade detection. This would result in making it more difficult for the Commission to achieve its strategic aims.
- Further to this, simply confirming or denying this request for information would impact on the openness of stakeholders when sharing important information with us or other law enforcement agencies.
- The amount of information released is carefully considered in order to protect the integrity of investigations and individuals or organisations from being unfairly associated with unsubstantiated allegations.
- Finally, only once or if a formal regulatory decision has been made or there is agreement of a regulatory settlement the Commission will ordinarily publish all such decisions in full.
- Fulfilling this request may prejudice the outcome of any future investigation by the Commission, or another body, to the detriment of the public interest.
- Weighing the balance
Given the points considered, disclosure of the information would be damaging to the Commission as a regulatory body which serves to protect the wider public interest. Ultimately, the Commission believes that the interests of the public are better served through maintaining the exemption, therefore we are not in a position to confirm or deny whether we hold any information in relation to your request.
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