Privacy Policy and How We Handle Your Data

This policy explains how this site collects, uses and protects personal data, and the rights you have over your information. We process personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Bracketed entries are placeholders completed before publication.

Start with the key definitions

A few terms are used throughout this policy. Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable living person, such as a name, an email address or, in some cases, an online identifier like an IP address. Processing means anything done with personal data, including collecting, storing, using, sharing or deleting it. The controller is the party that decides why and how personal data is processed; for this site, the controller is the publisher named in our Impressum.

See what data we collect and why

We aim to collect as little personal data as possible. In normal use you can read this site without giving us any personal information. Data is collected in two main situations. First, if you contact us, for example through the form on our contact page or by email, we receive the details you choose to send, such as your name, email address and the content of your message. Second, our hosting and any analytics we run may automatically receive technical data, such as your IP address, browser type, device information and the pages you view, which is standard for almost all websites.

We do not run any gambling service, we do not take deposits, and we never ask for financial information, identity documents or account details. Anything of that kind would only ever be handled by a gambling operator, never by this information site.

Understand the legal basis for processing

Under Article 6 of the UK GDPR we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. Where you contact us, our basis is usually our legitimate interest in responding to enquiries and, where relevant, the steps necessary to deal with your request. Where we use non-essential cookies or analytics, our basis is your consent, which you give through the cookie banner and can withdraw at any time. Strictly necessary technical processing needed to deliver the site securely also relies on our legitimate interest in operating the site safely.

Learn how we use cookies and analytics

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use them to make the site work and, with your consent, to understand how it is used so we can improve it. Non-essential and analytics cookies are only set after you accept them. A full description of each category, the specific cookies we use and how to switch them off is set out in our dedicated cookie policy. If we use a third-party analytics provider, it processes technical usage data on our behalf under a data-processing agreement, and we configure it to limit the data collected wherever possible.

Know who we share data with

We do not sell your personal data, and we do not share it for third-party marketing. We may share limited data with service providers who help us run the site, such as our hosting provider, our email provider and any analytics provider. These providers act on our instructions under contract. We may also disclose data where we are legally required to do so, for example in response to a valid request from a public authority. Some providers may process data outside the United Kingdom; where that happens we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as the UK addendum to the standard contractual clauses, to protect your information.

Check how long we keep data

We keep personal data only for as long as we need it. Enquiry correspondence is retained for as long as necessary to handle your request and for a reasonable period afterwards in case of follow-up, then deleted. Technical and analytics data is kept for a limited period in line with the settings of the provider concerned and is then aggregated or erased. The specific retention periods for individual cookies appear in the cookie policy.

Exercise your data protection rights

Under the UK GDPR you have a number of rights over your personal data. You have the right to be informed about how your data is used, which this policy provides. You have the right of access to the data we hold about you, and the right to have inaccurate data corrected. You have the right to erasure of your data in certain circumstances, and the right to restrict or object to processing, including processing based on legitimate interests. Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, and where applicable you have the right to data portability.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details on our contact page. We will respond within the time limits set by law, normally one month. If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK supervisory authority, at ico.org.uk.

Note how we update this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law or in how we operate the site. When we do, we will revise the last-updated date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you stay informed about how we protect your data.