Gambling Commission Complaints

Request

Please can you provide the following information.

1. The number of formal complaints made about the Gambling Commission through the Gambling Commission's complaints process since 1 January 2020.
2. The number of complaints about the Gambling Commission upheld by its own complaints process since 1 January 2020.

Response

Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

In your email you have requested:

1. The number of formal complaints made about the Gambling Commission through the Gambling Commission's complaints process since 1 January 2020.
2. The number of complaints about the Gambling Commission upheld by its own complaints process since 1 January 2020.

The Gambling Commission can confirm as follows:

1. Since 1 January 2020, 168 complaints have been reviewed through the Gambling Commission Complaints process.
2. Of those 168 complaints, 25 were upheld in full and 26 were partially upheld.

Please note, in relation to point 1), the Commission do not maintain a record of complaints made through the complaints process – we only maintain a record of those which are reviewed through the complaints process. This is because of the very high level of correspondence received to the complaints mailbox which did not fall within the remit of the complaints policy. Any such correspondence is therefore diverted to our Contact Centre for a response.

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