Licence activities
The GSC is known for its strict licensing process that focuses on financial transparency and its commitment to protecting players. The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) is one of the oldest gambling regulators in the world, having been established in 1962. However, many international gambling companies choose to obtain an Alderney license to show that they meet high regulatory standards. The AGCC does not license operators to serve UK players unless they also hold a UKGC license.
In 2019, members of the Bacta trade association decided to take voluntary action to ban under-16s from playing ‘cash-out’ slot-style machines while unaccompanied by an adult on their premises. Category D machines are typically played by families and children and are usually found in seaside arcades, family entertainment centres (FECs) and unlicensed FECs. Whilst there are some forms of indirect cashless payment methods under the current framework, as well as ATMs near some gambling locations, the lack of future-proofing for payment methods does risk a real decline in gaming machine GGY. This will include assessing the role of session limits across Category B and C machines alongside safer gambling tools.
Gambling in Sweden: is it necessary to obtain a license and pay a tax?
- You can also make use of our page banners to find some of our favourite brands that have been licensed by the UKGC and are available to UK players.
- The UK Gambling Commission demands extremely high standards of fairness, responsible gaming measures, and player protection.
- Unlike Option 1, it would be much more difficult for an operator to increase the number of B3 cabinets on their premises by increasing the number of Category C or D in-fills and tablets that they site.
- The majority of these responses came from respondents who submitted evidence to the original consultation.
This is the most important detail needed to confirm the licence is valid. The next step is to note the licence number. If this information is missing or unclear, it is a big enough sign to opt for a different casino. Don’t see the licensing information in the footer? They must adhere to strict regulations to protect British players.
A casino application can take up to 16 weeks to process depending on the complexity of your business. The LCCP outlines the requirements that all operating and personal licence holders must follow. The following legislation and policies are also applicable to operating licence holders. Personal Management Licences allow people to work in certain roles in a gambling business.
Checking a casino’s current licence status is a simple way to confirm it is meeting those standards right now. You can learn more about this in our guide on how to protect your rights at an online casino. You could also find licence details listed in the about us section, the help pages, or the responsible gambling page. You may see the licensing authority’s logo or written details about the licence issuer and number. We’ll show you how to check a casino’s licence in 5 simple steps. That’s why you should only play at licensed casino sites.
This license also allows for online gambling operations. Please see the casino (host) licence for further details. This includes poker, roulette, blackjack and other casino games, as well as online slot games. Since January 2026, UKGC licensed operators are not allowed to offer wagering requirements of more than 10x for any bonus offers advertised.
Non-remote society lottery operating licence Remote casino game host operating licence Remote betting intermediary trading rooms licence
Senior commission staff review the complete assessment. Pay initial application fee (£2,590 for most remote licenses). For more context on jurisdictional costs, see our licensing cost breakdown. Smart operators spend 3-6 months preparing before submission. Most operators need multiple licenses. Market access to 40+ million adults with legal gambling spend exceeding £14.2 billion annually.
Government response to measures relating to the land-based gambling sector
Should the government introduce an age limit on ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style machines to 18 and over? This does not distinguish between ‘cash-out’ and ‘ticket-out’ machines. The survey found that in the last 12 months, 3% of respondents had spent their own money on fruit or slot machines and a total of 6% had experience of playing on fruit or slot machines. While under-18s may make up a small proportion of total players, there is evidence that they do play on these machines. We expect this measure to restrict the play of under-18s on machines in scope.
A flat additional application fee of £2,100 is payable for a licence that combines two of remote casino, bingo and virtual event betting. A flat additional application fee of £1,680 is payable for a licence that combines two of remote casino, bingo and virtual event betting. The remote casino operating licence allows you to offer casino games to customers via a website, mobile phone, TV or other online service. The few minutes it takes to properly verify an online casino’s licence is crucial to ensure a safe and enjoyable gaming experience for you. Some fraudulent operators have displayed legit licence numbers belonging to different casinos, so make sure the number matches the name displayed on the official register.
The only way to definitively check if a UK casino is UKGC licensed is to search the register yourself. The answer is always the same — the UKGC Public Register at gamblingcommission.gov.uk is the only authoritative source. Players often ask exactly where to go to check if a UK casino is UKGC licensed. That is the complete process to check if a UK casino is UKGC licensed — it is free, takes two minutes, and gives you the definitive answer directly from the regulator. The two-minute process to check if a UK casino is UKGC licensed is a small investment of time for the peace of mind of knowing your money is legally protected. We recommend you check if a UK casino is UKGC licensed every time you visit a new site — even if you discovered the casino through a recommendation.
One of the easiest ways to run an online casino licence check is to navigate the business register on the government website for the UK Gambling Commission. Online casinos in the UK must have a valid licence issued by the UK Gambling Commission. The first annual fee for a non-remote (2005 Act (opens in new tab)) casino licence is due six months after the licence is issued to you. A large casino under the 2005 Act (opens in new tab) has a minimum table gaming area of 1,000 square metres and a minimum non-gambling area of 500 square metres. A small casino under the 2005 Act (opens in new tab) has a minimum table gaming area of 500 square metres and a minimum non-gambling area of 250 square metres.
For operators seeking to access the UK market, the UKGC licence is a prerequisite. The Gambling License Register also tracks UKGC-licensed operators and provides direct links to the Commission’s public register entries where available. The Gambling Commission maintains a public register of all current operating licences and personal licences. The levy is calculated at a rate ranging from 0.1% to 1.1% of gross gambling yield (depending on the licensed product), based on the amount reported in the operator’s regulatory returns for the previous 12-month period. The Commission’s preferred option would see an average 30% increase in annual operating licence fees.
The outcome of that consultation is not yet known.An “economic crime levy” is payable by entities that are regulated for anti-money laundering purposes (currently only casinos in the UK) and which generate more than £10.2 million non gamestop casinos in UK revenue. This process of formal review – Section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005 – can result in almost any sort of penalty from the regulator, including suspension and revocation of licences. The Gambling Commission also has powers to launch criminal investigations and bring criminal proceedings against companies and individuals (and, as at the time of writing, there is a live prosecution brought by the Commission against a company for providing unlicensed gambling facilities to consumers in Britain, illustrating the Gambling Commission’s willingness to exercise such power). Personal licences tend to have a five-year duration and must, however, be renewed. This distinction cannot be ignored, and the regulator has no power to grant a licence that authorises both remote and land-based activity.
They must also participate in GAMSTOP self-exclusion and contribute to research, education and treatment of gambling harm. Search for the operator by name or licence number and confirm the licence status shows as “Active”. Established under the Gambling Act 2005, it ensures gambling is conducted fairly, openly, and free from crime. If you have a dispute with a licensed operator, you can escalate unresolved complaints to an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution provider free of charge. All UKGC operators must allow you to set daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits.
Default limits for machines in betting shops are £150 being inserted as credit since session start or 20 minutes of machine play (both leading to a 30 second cooling-off period when triggered). As part of the process of allowing players to make debit card transactions by turning away from the gaming table at casinos, the sector committed to an approach of 30 seconds of visual separation in ensuring a break in play before accessing additional funds. (Optional response) i) Category B1 machinesii) Category B2 machines? While it is important to future-proof gaming machine payment methods, there must be a balance between this and any elevated risk of harm that could emerge from allowing direct cashless payment methods to be used for gambling. Gaming machines are currently permitted in a variety of locations and divided into various categories based on factors such as maximum stake and prize available, as well as the premises where they may be used.
For every gaming table used in the casino, the effect of the amendment is to increase from two to five the number of gaming machines that may also be made available for use. Its role is to oversee all gambling activity in the country, including that at online casinos, in betting shops, arcades, lotteries, and bingo halls. Otherwise, payment processing per se is not licensable under British gambling law and the main restrictions are that land-based bingo and casinos may not offer credit for wagers and remote gambling operators may not accept credit card payments (including through money services providers). As well as an operating licence, an operator wishing to make gambling facilities available in a land-based environment (e.g., casino, betting shop, bingo hall or arcade centre) will also need to apply for a premises licence authorising that activity from the relevant local authority. Other than that, different types of gambling activity conducted by the same media can be combined – for example, a “remote” gambling operating licence might well have betting, gaming and software operation endorsed upon it. As far as remote gaming and betting is concerned, licences are readily available to suitable applicants.
Further information on these changes will be published as it becomes available on the Gambling Commission’s website and communicated to operators and licensing authorities. The draft Casinos Regulations form part of a package of interlinked statutory instruments which amend the regulatory framework for land-based casinos. Licensed gambling businesses must display that they are licensed and also provide a link to our public register. A company that runs four casino brands under one licence will have four separate site entries, each with its own Domain Score.
Industry responses were opposed to increasing the maximum chargeable fees beyond 10% for 2 main reasons. Responses from industry advocated for either no increase in the maximum chargeable premises fees or a small increase of 10%. Licensing authorities highlighted numerous benefits which would be achieved by increasing the maximum chargeable premises fees by 30%. However, a number of these responses stated that this would still be below the amount necessary to undertake their duties to the fullest extent. The majority of licensing authorities advocated for a 30% increase. The consultation asked the questions below on whether licensing authority fees should be increased, and if so, by how much.
This instrument brought the British system into line with various of the European so-called “regulated markets”, where the requirement to obtain a licence for that market and account for gambling duty extends to remote providers of gambling outside the jurisdiction. If you run a gambling business for profit without the relevant licences, you could be committing an offence and you could be prosecuted. We act for businesses throughout the world in applications for UK Gambling Commission Operator’s Licences and UKGC and local authority premises licences. Those licensees who want to utilise the new entitlements will have to apply to the relevant licensing authority to vary the premises licence, so the premises layout plan reflects changes in operation.
Our online fees calculator can help you with understanding the amounts of your application, first annual and annual fees. The fees you need to pay depend on what you are applying for, and what your anticipated gross gambling yield (GGY) is. The Gambling Act 2005 defines a casino as an arrangement whereby people are given an opportunity to participate in one or more casino games.
If we grant you a licence to run a gambling business, you will be able to download a copy of your licence from eServices. The following guidance is specific to casino games, and is relevant to those who hold a casino licence. An operating licence allows you to provide gambling activities to customers in Great Britain. You can read more about the legal definition of casinos in Part 1 section 7 of the Gambling Act 2005 (opens in new tab). The Codes also require that advertisements for gambling products or services do not mislead. In practice, this means that in many areas the Act sets a framework, with more detailed rules set out in regulations made under the Act.
Find verified Gambling Commission licensed operators. However, we recommend that Northern Ireland residents still use UKGC licensed operators as they offer the highest level of consumer protection available. We strongly advise using only UKGC licensed operators. It is legal for UK residents to gamble on sites not licensed by the UKGC, however such operators are prohibited from actively targeting or advertising to UK customers. The Gambling Commission is the regulatory body responsible for licensing and overseeing gambling activities in Great Britain. For absolute certainty, cross-reference with the official Gambling Commission public register at gamblingcommission.gov.uk.
45% of respondents would not be happy at all to pay for gambling via cashless payment methods. 77% felt that cashless makes it easier to spend more on gambling than intended, and 66% said that using cashless payment methods made it feel like they are spending less money than they actually are. Anecdotal industry evidence suggests that payment methods are a factor in this decline in machine usage, as pub goers now pay for food and drink by card but might have previously played a machine using spare change. While the existing framework has allowed for some innovation in cashless payments, gambling has largely remained cash-based. In addition to this, research commissioned by Bacta showed that in 2018, seaside arcades alone contributed £451m in UK GVA, and were responsible for employing around 19,000 people. Cash-only gambling was assumed to give players more control by providing natural interruptions in play to obtain more cash, helping players play within budget limits.