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Request date: 10 October 2024
This version was printed or saved on: 29 May 2025
Online version: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/about-us/freedomofinformation/data-about-illegal-betting-websites-operating-in-great-britain
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2020 (FOIA). I would like your assistance in obtaining data about illegal gambling and betting websites operating in Great Britain.
Please provide a list of all cease and desist notices and disruption notices that the Gambling Commission issued to online gambling and betting operators in a) 2021, b) 2022, c) 2023 and d) 2024 up to 1 October. Please include the names of each of these operators and the associated websites with notice dates.
Please provide a list of all websites of online gambling and betting operators that the Gambling Commission asked search engines and internet service providers to take down for each of the following years: a) 2021, b)2022, c) 2023 and d) 2024 up to 1 October with request dates. Please include the names of each of these website operators, the date of the request and the outcome (ie. has the website been taken down).
Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
In your email you have requested:
a) 2021
b) 2022
c) 2023
d) 2024 up to 1 October.
a) 2021
b) 2022
c) 2023
d) 2024 up to 1 October.
Information relating to the Gambling Commission’s approach to tackling unlicensed gambling can be viewed on our website:
Blog - Unlicensed Gambling – Our approach to tackling unlicensed gambling
The Commission is a regulatory body with licensing, compliance and enforcement functions. Through our regulatory enforcement activity, the Commission aims to protect consumers and the wider public, and to raise standards in the gambling industry. Part of our statutory remit and a key licensing objective is to keep crime out of gambling. When consumers access potentially illegal gambling sites, they expose themselves to many risks and are not afforded the protections in place that are expected in the regulated sector.
I can confirm that the Gambling Commission does hold information falling within the scope of your request. This information is readily available from the start of financial year 2023. Prior to this the information was recorded in a different way, this information is not stored in an extractable format. We would be required to review large volumes of information, stored across several areas of the Commission to fulfil your request.
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:
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. For example, S31 – Law Enforcement provides an exemption for information that the Commission holds where disclosure would undermine the Commission’s licensing objective to keep crime out of gambling. Disclosure of this information could seriously impact the Commission’s ability to fulfil its statutory functions, which is strongly not in the public interest.
Please note, any refined request would be processed as a new request and the 20 working day statutory time limit would apply.
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 a new tab), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Information Management Team
Gambling Commission