Self-exclusions from land-based gambling
Request
The total number of people self-excluded from land-based gambling in the UK.
Response
Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
In your email you have requested the total number of people self-excluded from land-based gambling in the UK.
There are two ways people can self-exclude: from an individual operator’s self-exclusion scheme or a multi-operator scheme which allows a consumer to self-exclude from multiple operators in the relevant sector with a single request.
Individual operator self-exclusion schemes
The following table shows the number of new self-exclusions reported to the Gambling Commission by operators in Great Britain and does not cover those who self-excluded with multi-operator schemes: Please note, the fiscal year FY21 covers 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 (FY21/22), and so on.
Individual operator self-exclusion schemes
| Fiscal year 2021 to 2022 | Fiscal year 2022 to 2023 | Fiscal year 2023 to 2024 | Fiscal year 2024 to 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Gaming Centre | 3,159 | 5,825 | 7,813 | 13,893 |
| Betting | 17,446 | 18,938 | 24,549 | 22,540 |
| Bingo | 2,474 | 3,735 | 4,944 | 6,143 |
| Casino | 3,657 | 3,679 | 4,248 | 3,767 |
| Family Entertainment Centre | 31 | 58 | 47 | 106 |
When reviewing this information, the following factors should be taken into consideration.
Self-exclusion data is provided to us by gambling operators via their Regulatory Returns. Operators are required to provide information regarding the total number of new self-exclusions made during the regulatory return reporting period.
Some operators are part of a larger parent company and may submit self-exclusion figures for the whole parent company on their return, however we are unable to determine whether the figures reported are for the individual operator or for the parent company as a whole.
Furthermore, where a single individual self-excludes from multiple operators they will be counted as an individual self-exclusion for each operator, therefore this data cannot be used to understand the total number of self-excluded individuals just the total number of new self-exclusions e.g. if one individual self-excluded from ten operators it would add ten to the totals above.
Multi-operator self-exclusion
The following tables relate to information collected from the multi-operator self-exclusion schemes in relation to self-exclusions from those schemes.
Q1 Total number of new self-exclusions added to the scheme during the reporting period
| Sector | Fiscal Year 2022 to 2023 | Fiscal Year 2023 to 2024 | Fiscal Year 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Gaming Centre | 5,449 | 7,899 | 10,550 |
| Bingo | 3,537 | 4,692 | 5,632 |
| Betting | 5,860 | 6,940 | 6,688 |
| Casino | 3,914 | 4,153 | 5,046 |
Q2 Total number of individuals who have added a self-exclusion during the reporting period.
| Sector | Fiscal Year 2022 to 2023 | Fiscal Year 2023 to 2024 | Fiscal Year 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Gaming Centre | 6,477 | 6,802 | 10,831 |
| Bingo | 3,480 | 4,576 | 5,285 |
| Betting | 5,860 | 6,940 | 6,688 |
| Casino | 3,913 | 4,146 | 5,046 |
In relation to the AGC sector, due to the way their data is stored, the figures are an estimate of the number of individuals rather than a confirmed amount.
Q6 Total number of active self-excluded customers
| Sector | Fiscal Year 2023 to 2024 | Fiscal Year 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Gaming Centre | 12,357 | 11,828 |
| Bingo | 11,572 | 12,938 |
| Betting | 9,799 | 6,688 |
| Casino | 4,146 | 17,316 |
In relation to the AGC sector, due to the way their data is stored, the figures are an estimate of the number of individuals rather than a confirmed amount.
(These figures will include individuals who are either in their minimum selected self-exclusion period as well as those who are in the additional 6 month 'retention' period but still actively excluded from gambling because they haven't elected to remove their exclusion).
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