Dear Sir

Thank you for your request for information which we are processing as a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We aim to deal with all requests promptly and in any event, no later than 20 working days in line with the statutory requirement. In this case 17/01/2023

For information on how we process your personal information please see our freedom of information request specific privacy notice on the Gambling Commission website

If you have any queries about this email, please contact us.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information Team
Gambling Commission
Victoria Square House
Victoria Square
Birmingham B2 4BP

This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please return it to the address it came from indicating that you are not the intended recipient and delete it from your system. Do not copy, distribute or take action based on this email. Freedom of Information requests can be submitted either by email ([email address]) or by writing to: FOI request Gambling Commission Victoria Square House Victoria Square Birmingham B2 4BP Please clearly state that your request is under the Freedom of Information Act.

Dear Sir/Madam

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 total number of Lotto ticket sales for 2022 - listing the total number of Saturday and Wednesday night draw sales separately.
2. The total number of EuroMillions ticket sales for 2022 - listing Tuesday and Friday night draw sales separately.

Please see the attached spreadsheet containing the information held by the Gambling Commission falling within the scope of your request.

When viewing these figures it should be noted that; we have interpreted the request as the volume of tickets sold. The Commission does not hold data detailing the volume of ticket sales. However, through applying calculations based on data the Commission does hold in respect of the value of ticket sales we have been able to provide a response to your request as best we are able to.

I can confirm that the Commission does hold information up to and including December 2022. However, we consider this information to be of a commercially sensitive nature and therefore exempt under section 43 of the FOIA.

With the recency of the figures, given the operator has not yet reported formally on the period from April 2022 onwards, the release of such information at this time could be damaging to the operator’s commercial interests as the release of sales figures, in isolation, without appropriate context and explanation of overall sales performance leaves them open to misinterpretation.

Section 43(2) exempts information where disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any legal person (an individual, a company, the public authority itself or any other legal entity).

Ultimately, disclosure of this information could therefore result in the data being used by other operators to provide products to consumers who otherwise would have played a National Lottery product. This could adversely affect National Lottery sales, and in turn, the level of returns to Good Causes – consequently impacting on the Commission’s statutory duties.

Section 43 is a qualified exemption and we are required to consider whether maintaining the exemption is in the public interest.

Arguments in favour of disclosure:

• There is a legitimate public interest in promoting the transparency of the Commission and in making information available to the public.
• Further to this, there is a legitimate public interest in understanding the performance of the National Lottery as a vehicle for providing money to good causes.

Arguments in favour of maintaining the exemption:

• To the extent that there is a public interest in understanding how National Lottery products are performing, sales data is already published routinely, which should provide such an understanding.
• The release of such figures without appropriate context and explanation of overall sales performance leaves them open to misinterpretation, either inadvertently or deliberately, by third parties who can then go on to paint a misleading picture of The National Lottery based on partial information.
• This could adversely affect sales of the National Lottery, as a consequence, having an impact on the level of funding raised for Good Causes.

Weighing the balance.

Having weighed these issues, the Commission is of the view that the public interest is best served through maintaining this exemption.

Whilst the Commission aims to be open and transparent, there is a need to preserve the confidentiality of information submitted on that basis and to be mindful of the commercial sensitivities of information that is held. There is very little that providing this information would do in terms of the public interest whilst disclosure would be likely to impact on the commercial interests of the operator and the statutory duties of the Gambling Commission.

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, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Information Management Team
Gambling Commission
Victoria Square House
Victoria Square
Birmingham B2 4BP

This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please return it to the address it came from indicating that you are not the intended recipient and delete it from your system. Do not copy, distribute or take action based on this email. Freedom of Information requests can be submitted either by email ([email address]) or by writing to: FOI request Gambling Commission Victoria Square House Victoria Square Birmingham B2 4BP Please clearly state that your request is under the Freedom of Information Act.