Online Gambling - registered company details

Request

I require a list of all the online gambling companies that come under your regulations with the following data.

• Company registered name
• Website addresses approved by the gambling commission for use
• Office phone number
• Registered business address

Response

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

In your email you have requested a list of all online gambling companies, with the following data:

• Company registered name
• Website addresses approved by the gambling commission for use
• Office phone number
• Registered business address

Section 21 of the FOIA provides that information is exempt where it is reasonably accessible elsewhere. The names of all licensed entities (remote & non-remote) along with their head office addresses and domain names can be found either on the full register (this option can be filtered to just show entities that are licensed to facilitate online gambling companies (remote) or the Download the register links on our website which can be found here:
Register of gambling businesses (gamblingcommission.gov.uk)

As you will be aware, 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.

Gambling operators are required to hold a licence from the Commission in order to offer facilities for gambling to customers located in Great Britain. The Commission goes through a licence application process as part of this and makes an assessment of suitability against criteria set out in the Act. Part 5 of the Gambling Act 2005 details the Commission’s statutory functions in relation to the licensing requirements. The Licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) set out the requirements all licensees must meet in order to hold a Gambling Commission licence.

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/licensees-and-businesses/lccp

We expect Licensees to work with us in an open and cooperative way and to inform us of anything we might need to be aware of in order to regulate effectively. We encourage operators to be as thorough and as detailed as possible with their submissions. They would not do this if they believed that the information they provided would be released, and the quality of the information that we receive from operators would be impacted as a result.

As such, we are of the view the releasing details of the office phone numbers for licenced operators is exempt under section 31 of the FOIA

Section 31

The FOIA provides that information held by a public authority is exempt if its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice a public authority in the exercising of its functions for any purposes specified in subsection 2 (a)(b)(c).

31(1) provides that Information which is not exempt information by virtue of section 30 is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice -
(g) the exercise by any public authority of its functions for any of the purposes specified in subsection (2)
(2) The purposes referred to in subsection (1)(g) to (i) are -
(a) the purpose of ascertaining whether any person has failed to comply with the law,
(b) the purpose of ascertaining whether any person is responsible for any conduct which is improper,
(c) the purpose of ascertaining a person’s fitness or competence in relation to the management of bodies corporate or in relation to any profession or other activity which he is, or seeks to become, authorised to carry on.

The Public Interest Test

Having acknowledged that the requested information is exempt under section 31 it is necessary that I consider a public interest test to identify whether there is a wider public interest in disclosing this information as opposed to maintaining the exemption.

Public interest arguments in favour of disclosure

• There is a legitimate public interest in promoting the accountability and transparency of public authorities
• Public disclosure of this information may also, demonstrate our proactive work in this area,
• Further to this, increasing confidence in the Commission as a regulator and its ability to uphold our regulatory responsibility.
• Increased transparency by operators would promote consumer confidence and help them make informed choices.

Public interest arguments in favour of maintaining the exemption

• Fulfilling this request may deter stakeholders or other sources of information from sharing important information with us or other law enforcement agencies.
• Disclosing detailed information is likely to impact on the openness of operators which will in turn impact on the ability of the Commission to effectively regulate.
• There is an expectation of confidence in much of the Commission’s work, particularly regarding the information it holds which has been provided by operators.
• Disclosure of this information would also undermine the Commission's ability to uphold the licensing objectives which would impact on the trust and confidence of the public in it as a regulator.
• Further, disclosure of the requested information would prejudice the outcome of future assessments by the Commission by exposing assessment techniques and practices to the detriment of the public interest.

Weighing the Balance of public interest arguments

The Commission acknowledges that there is a public interest in promoting the accountability and transparency of public authorities and the importance of having sufficient information in the public domain to support consumers with their choice of operator, however, disclosure of the information would be damaging to the Commission as a regulatory body which ultimately serves to protect the wider public interest.

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