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Self Reporting

Request date: 30 July 2024

This version was printed or saved on: 4 May 2025

Online version: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/about-us/freedomofinformation/self-reporting

Request

  1. A list of penalties\fined issued to all gambling firms with the 2023/2024 and the reason for being fined.

2.How the gambling commission checks on the gambling firms, is it only self reporting? Or do you actively investigate incidences or breaches?

3.Information on whom determined self regulation was the best option, whom is the governmental depart who made this we decision?

4.Information on how many deaths in 2023\24 mentioned gambling as a cause?

  1. A list of all gifts and donation revived by the gambling commission including there origin?

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. A list of penalties\fines issued to all gambling firms in 2023/2024 and the reason for being fined.
  2. How the Gambling Commission checks on the gambling firms, is it only self-reporting? Or do you actively investigate incidences or breaches?
  3. Information on whom determined self-regulation was the best option, whom is the Government Department who made this decision?
  4. Information on how many deaths in 2023/24 mentioned gambling as a cause?
  5. A list of all gifts and donations received by the Gambling Commission including their origin?

The Gambling Commission can confirm as follows:

Question 1:

We release details of our enforcement activity through public statements.

The public statements will detail the nature of the failings by the operator and the amount of the fine or settlement. Further to this, the Commission also publishes a list of recent regulatory sanctions we have imposed on licence holders.

Question 2:

The Gambling Commission exists to safeguard players and the wider public by ensuring gambling is fair and safe. Businesses and individuals who do not follow rules and regulations aimed at ensuring gambling is fair, safe and crime-free can therefore expect regulatory action.

For example, if concerns are raised regarding a licence holder, then the Commission has the power to investigate. When we investigate a gambling business, we will collect certain information about them to see if they are being consistent with the following:

We require that gambling businesses comply with these rules and make sure they are putting their customer's welfare first. If we feel that these requirements are not being met, we can take action.

Every case we investigate is different, however we will always use our statement of principles for any decisions we make. The statement of principles can be found here: Statement of principles for licensing and regulation (gamblingcommission.gov.uk).

Question 3:

The Commission is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (opens in new tab).

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.

Licensees and Businesses

When we receive licence applications an assessment is made on whether a business will uphold the licensing objectives and also the suitability of the applicant to carry out the activities that the licence allows. As part of this assessment the Commission will request the following evidence to support the application and the individuals who are relevant to the application, such as:

Details with regards to how we process a licence application can be found on our website:

Licences and fees (gamblingcommission.gov.uk)

Once licensed, gambling operators are subject to ongoing compliance requirements and are subject to regulatory action should they fail to meet their licence requirements.

Information collated as part of this process is used to assess whether a person or entity is fit to hold a licence.

Question 4:

It should be noted that the Gambling Commission do not investigate gambling related deaths or suicides; it is for the coroner to decide a cause of death. The Commission however will consider instances where there appears to be a regulatory breach. More information about our compliance and enforcement approach can be found on our website.

In 2019, the Gambling Commission published an analysis of existing data indicating the link between problem gambling and suicide, which was funded by GambleAware - New analysis shows problem gamblers are more likely than others to have suicidal thoughts, attempt suicide and to harm themselves (gamblingcommission.gov.uk). As a result, the Commission approved a regulatory settlement project, under which the Samaritans and GamCare have been working together to develop more in-depth guidance for gambling businesses to sit alongside the Commission’s requirements for the gambling industry to ensure operators are responding appropriately to risks of harm to their consumers. This work builds on evidence from our compliance and enforcement casework.

As of 01/04/2024 a change in the LCCP came into effect that means operators are now required to inform us when they become aware of customer deaths if there is evidence of a link to suicide, such as contact from the customer warning that they may take their life. Where we identify that a suicide might have links to gambling, we will fully investigate the actions of the operator the person was gambling with.

The Gambling Commission can therefore confirm that we do not hold information on the number of confirmed deaths where gambling was identified as a cause in 2023/24.

Question 5:

Section 21 of the FOIA provides that information that is accessible by other means is exempt from disclosure. In order to provide you with assistance in locating the information you require, please see the following:

Gifts and hospitality register (gamblingcommission.gov.uk).

The Gambling Commission have an obligation to publish gifts or hospitality received over the value of £10.

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 a new tab), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Information Management Team
Gambling Commission