Allwyn service level agreement

Request

I want to use FOI to find out if Allwyn have a service level agreement as part of the conditions for running the National Lottery and if so what since the website update has been their record on any service level agreement. ie how many complaints received, how many replied to with 24 hours, How many outstanding complaints etc etc etc.

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 information:

‘I want to use FOI to find out if Allwyn have a service level agreement as part of the conditions for running the National Lottery and if so what since the website update has been their record on any service level agreement. i.e. how many complaints received, how many replied to with 24 hours, How many outstanding complaints etc.’

There is not a concept of service level agreements within the regulatory framework for the National Lottery. Instead, the Fourth National Lottery Licence (which can be found here: National Lottery) sets out the various conditions that the operator of the National Lottery (Allwyn Entertainment Limited) must comply with.

Under the Fourth Licence, National Lottery regulation is outcomes-focused. This places greater responsibility on the operator to fulfil its obligations, whilst ensuring the Commission retains the ability to intervene if they do not. In this context, while there are specific conditions (including conditions 8.2, 8.10 and 8.11) regarding complaints within the Licence, there are no specific targets associated with these conditions. Instead, in line with our outcomes-based regulatory framework, it is for the operator to define and monitor performance against appropriate targets.

The Regulatory Handbook (see Fourth National Lottery Licence: Regulatory Handbook) sits alongside the Licence and includes information regarding the Commission's approach to regulating the operator. It also outlines the information the Commission receives from the operator in respect of enquiries and complaints. The quarterly reporting we receive covers:

• The volume of enquiries and complaints received across various channels of communication and the volume that have been escalated to the independent dispute resolution mechanism;
• The time taken to resolve enquiries and complaints;
• A classification of the subject matter of enquiries and complaints; and
• The outcomes of enquiries, complaints and disputes escalated to the independent resolution mechanism.

However:

• As of the date of your request (26/03/2026), we have not yet received the data for the period following 26/01/2026, which is when the significant updates to the National Lottery website were implemented.
• When that data is received, a) we will not be able to provide data focussed specifically on the period in question, as the data is provided on a calendar month basis; b) it will not include any information regarding i) the number of complaints replied to within 24 hours or ii) the number of outstanding complaints.

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