GGY over the last 5 years

Request

• Over the last five years (2020-2024 or the most recent five years you have), what is the total bingo spending, such as Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) or similar, by local authority area?
• If it isn't available by local authority area, please provide the most detailed breakdown you have (for example, by region or operator).

Response

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

In your email you have requested:

• Over the last five years (2020-2024 or the most recent five years you have), what is the total bingo spending, such as Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) or similar, by local authority area?
• If it isn't available by local authority area, please provide the most detailed breakdown you have (for example, by region or operator).

I can confirm that the Commission does hold information falling within the scope of your request, however, the Commission is of the view that this information is exempt under Section 43(2) of the FOIA.

The Commission does publish some information in relation to GGY which can be found on our website: Industry Statistics - July 2025 - Correction: Official statistics.

However, releasing the Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) of individual operators relates to the performance of the business. Section 43(2) of the FOIA provides that information is exempt information if: its disclosure under the FOIA would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it).

Having acknowledged that information within the scope of your request is exempt from disclosure, section 43 FOIA requires that we consider a public interest test to identify whether there is a wider public interest in fulfilling this request opposed to maintaining the exemption.

Public Interest Test

The factors the Gambling Commission has considered when applying the public interest test have been detailed as follows.

Arguments in favour of disclosure

The arguments in favour of disclosure are as follows:

• it is recognised that there is a legitimate public interest in promoting the transparency of the Gambling Commission and in making information available to the public. Further to this, in understanding the performance of the gambling industry
• there is a legitimate public interest in members of the public having confidence the Commission is being open and honest with the data it holds so that it can be held to account.

Arguments in favour of maintaining the exemption

The arguments in favour of maintaining the exemption are as follows:

• licensed operators have a reasonable expectation that this level of detail would not be published on an individual basis
• an extensive range of aggregated or anonymised data is already available to the public to give a necessary level of understanding of the gambling industry. Operators have a reasonable expectation that such information would not be published on an individual basis
• detail of individual companies does not contribute to the understanding of overall performance of the industry as a whole
• releasing this information would be likely to provide competitors with a commercial advantage as they would be able to see the position of competing operators
• we consider that disclosing the information could discourage licensees from freely providing information to the Commission in future, which would likely prejudice the Commission’s ability to monitor and regulate its licensees
• providing operator specific information regarding the information requested could lead to comparisons being made between operators, leading to unjustified inferences being made without the full context.

Weighing the balance

Whilst the Gambling Commission aims to be open and transparent, there is a need to preserve the confidentiality of information relating to licensed operators and to be mindful of the commercial sensitivities of information that is held. In our view there is more than a 50% chance that prejudice to the Commercial Interests of licensees would be caused by disclosure and the Commission’s view is that the public interest is best served through maintaining this exemption.

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