People and premises applying for gambling licences

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Request date
7 November 2023

Outcome
Full disclosure

Document actions
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Request

I would like to request the data of the number of people and premises applying for gambling licences each January to December from the 10-year period starting from 1 January 2013- 1 January 2023. I am doing a student piece about the amount of people gambling in the run up to Christmas each year and whether the numbers increase.

Ultimately, I would like figures for the amount of people actively gambling for each month in this time period so I can analyse any trends, particularly relating to the Christmas period. I am unsure if this is information you possess, in which case would you be able to offer some advice on how it would be best to accurately word my request if this is unclear.

Please provide the information in the form of an Excel spreadsheet/similar data table.

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 number of people and premises applying for gambling licences each January to December from the 10-year period starting from 1 January 2013 - 1 January 2023.

The below table contains the number of people and premises applying for gambling licences over the 10-year period requested.

Number of people and premises applying for gambling licenses between 1 January 2013 to 1 January 2023

Date	Operating licenses - New application	Personal licenses - New application	Grand total
April 2013	44	202	246
April 2014	28	192	220
April 2015	36	235	271
April 2016	49	205	254
April 2017	18	184	202
April 2018	33	219	252
April 2019	32	154	186
April 2020	13	21	34
April 2021	35	100	135
April 2022	13	110	123
August 2013	26	181	207
August 2014	99	200	299
August 2015	20	168	188
August 2016	50	193	243
August 2017	25	192	217
August 2018	24	147	171
August 2019	43	231	274
August 2020	25	80	105
August 2021	17	78	95
August 2022	29	163	192
December 2013	17	95	112
December 2014	35	191	226
December 2015	22	187	209
December 2016	38	202	240
December 2017	36	158	194
December 2018	29	78	107
December 2019	22	137	159
December 2020	21	38	59
December 2021	13	105	118
December 2022	14	84	98
February 2013	30	201	231
February 2014	41	153	194
February 2015	75	214	289
February 2016	44	297	341
February 2017	52	235	287
February 2018	24	227	251
February 2019	24	134	158
February 2020	53	215	268
February 2021	25	49	74
February 2022	21	188	209
January 2013	46	113	159
January 2014	31	137	168
January 2015	64	205	269
January 2016	43	177	220
January 2017	17	190	207
January 2018	33	242	275
January 2019	37	145	182
January 2020	32	168	200
January 2021	25	33	58
January 2022	11	86	97
July 2013	34	202	236
July 2014	49	226	275
July 2015	48	247	295
July 2016	19	176	195
July 2017	32	171	203
July 2018	24	155	179
July 2019	47	188	235
July 2020	12	62	74
July 2021	12	163	175
July 2022	20	185	205
June 2013	29	120	149
June 2014	46	189	235
June 2015	29	280	309
June 2016	40	196	236
June 2017	42	180	222
June 2018	28	166	194
June 2019	28	171	199
June 2020	25	34	59
June 2021	25	119	144
June 2022	16	136	152
March 2013	30	202	232
March 2014	41	180	221
March 2015	40	204	244
March 2016	41	227	268
March 2017	75	270	345
March 2018	39	245	284
March 2019	33	158	191
March 2020	35	127	162
March 2021	42	59	101
March 2022	15	233	248
May 2013	19	217	236
May 2014	41	186	227
May 2015	35	216	251
May 2016	40	214	254
May 2017	49	197	246
May 2018	29	212	241
May 2019	39	205	244
May 2020	26	38	64
May 2021	32	121	153
May 2022	16	162	178
November 2013	31	189	220
November 2014	28	202	230
November 2015	48	251	299
November 2016	36	237	273
November 2017	27	262	289
November 2018	24	197	221
November 2019	26	258	284
November 2020	30	47	77
November 2021	12	203	215
November 2022	26	175	201
October 2013	29	166	195
October 2014	70	281	351
October 2015	21	258	279
October 2016	21	209	230
October 2017	37	219	256
October 2018	31	247	278
October 2019	27	276	303
October 2020	32	68	100
October 2021	31	124	155
October 2022	5	187	192
September 2013	26	168	194
September 2014	412	427	839
September 2015	40	241	281
September 2016	28	200	228
September 2017	41	130	171
September 2018	20	218	238
September 2019	23	241	264
September 2020	18	104	122
September 2021	17	122	139
September 2022	20	171	191
Grand total	4193	21056	25249

Further to this, you have requested figures for the amount of people actively gambling for each month in this time period.

I can confirm that participation data, at the level of breakdown you have requested is not held by the Gambling Commission.

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