Compliance
If an online casino doesn’t hold a valid license from the Gambling Commission in the UK, it is not legally allowed to operate in the UK. The regulations surrounding gambling in the UK are some of the most advanced and player-friendly in the world. Information for existing or prospective gambling businesses including what types of licence you may need, how much they cost and the licence conditions and codes of practice that apply to your licence. On that basis, these types of product can be sited in the table gaming area as delineated on a layout plan, although they will not count as gaming tables for the purpose of the machine to table ratio. However, licensing authorities may receive applications including a layout plan showing these automated tables and terminals sited in the table gaming area. The Gambling Act 2005 (Gaming Tables in Casinos) (Definitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 states that wholly automated gaming tables and electronic terminals used in connection with real games of chance, will not count as ‘gaming tables’ for the purpose of the machine to table ratio.
However, it should be noted that respondents were most likely to have spent their own money on types of gambling activity that are legal or do not feature age restricted products, such as penny pusher or claw grab arcade games. Bacta’s members make up approximately 70-80% of the market for family entertainment centres and adult gaming centres. In addition, we would like to receive any evidence or information on best practice in these venues that could then be disseminated among operators. Further details on machine types and permitted locations can be found at Figure 11. Net position would be defined as the total of all deposits and winnings minus the sum of all losses since the start of the session, and both these proposals would align to the changes made to online game design by the Gambling Commission in 2021.
What are the benefits of playing at UKGC casinos?
While not as liberalising as Option 3, responses from some operators indicated that increases in Category B cabinets would not be vastly different to projections provided for Option 3. The majority of these respondents stated a preference for Option 2, as this would place the greatest restriction on the number of Category B machines available in arcades and bingo clubs. These responses were strongly opposed to Option 2(a) and Option 2(b) on the grounds that the ratios proposed place too much emphasis on achieving commercial flexibility for businesses at the expense of mitigating against risks of gambling-related harm. The evidence provided by this operator projected that under Option 2(a), no further increases in Category B machines could be made, although 5% to 10% of Category C machines and up to 80% of Category D machines could be removed. While the majority of operators were supportive of Option 2(b), one small multi-site operator stated that this option would be commercially detrimental, requiring it to make an additional 12 Category C or D cabinets available to meet this ratio.
You must also notify us three months prior to your annual fee due date to confirm whether your casino is operational so that the correct annual fee is charged. So you must tell us the date you plan to start trading (this will be a condition of your licence, if granted). If your casino is not operational, then subsequent annual fees will be reduced by 50 percent. Subsequent annual fees are due every year before the anniversary of the day your licence was issued. You can offer any of the games listed in our types and rules of casino games at a large casino. You can offer any of the games listed in our types and rules of casino games at a small casino.
It also ensures that operators meet certain standards for fairness, integrity, and transparency, issuing licenses to operators who meet these requirements. The Gambling Commission of Great Britain is the primary regulator of the UK gambling industry. To help you navigate the UK’s constantly changing regulatory environment, we’ve prepared a complete guide to UK gambling rules.
Age, ID and financial verification
For example, some machines accept indirect payment from a debit card via mobile apps. The Gambling Act 2005 and the Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice permit operators to innovate to some extent, and industry has introduced some cashless gambling. However, it is still the primary way to pay for machines in land-based venues.
406.Part 8 provides appeals mechanisms for people affected by the decisions of licensing authorities. 401.In England and Wales licensing authority functions are conferred on local authorities, and in Scotland upon licensing boards, as defined in Part 1 of the Act. Aside from studying bank statements, gambling companies can also ask for information which may lead to irregular income patterns in your account, such as a pending house sale. To help check that your source of funds are legitimate, and as part of a gambling company’s anti-money laundering checks Gambling companies therefore use a variety of techniques to profile customers which can help to indicate that a customer is gambling with money they do not have.
The Commission found that Camelot had poor fraud prevention controls in place and that it had breached the terms of its licence. In situations where additional investigation is required, the licence can be revoked.citation needed The range of actions that may need to be taken varies from issuing a warning to inflicting a fine on those who violate licence conditions. The proposals were opposed by the gambling industry, including the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association.They also regulate crypto gambling websites and mitigate the risk of money laundering through such sites.
- You should play at licensed casino sites to have a secure, fair, and responsible experience.
- This will ensure that the breaks designed to allow customers to make more informed or dispassionate decisions about their gambling are supplemented by safer gambling messaging and not used for any other purposes, such as promotional offers.
- It is based on your gross gambling yield.
- Obtaining a UK licence requires extensive background checks, financial audits, technical testing, and ongoing compliance monitoring.
- Each license is tailored to specific business models and activities, whether online or land-based.
This “deposit limit” is currently set at £20 for Category B and C machines, and £2 for Category D machines. There is currently no limit on the amount that can be inserted into a gaming machine, which for simplicity will be known as the “transaction value”. This would be in contrast to the review and potential implementation of improved verification protocols within online gambling.
For example, if a casino has 400sqm of gambling space, it would be required to have at least 200sqm of table gaming space. For casinos casino not on gamstop that are 500sqm or larger, the table gaming area must be equal to or greater than 250sqm. We think that this will create greater equity between 1968 Act and Small 2005 Act casinos and should not have an effect on gambling-related harm as customers will still be offered a mixture of gambling and other non-gambling leisure activities.
Non-remote betting intermediary licence Non-remote general betting limited operating licence Non-remote general betting standard operating licence These are the types of gambling licences you will need to run your gambling business. By consulting the UKGC and legal experts, operators can build compliant, player-focused casinos that thrive in 2025 and beyond.
The primary and intended benefit of this measure is to increase funding for licensing authorities to carry out administrative and enforcement duties in relation to land-based gambling premises in their remit. Scottish Ministers also have power to set application and annual fees for premises licences, which differ from the fees set out for England and Wales, and are set out in the Gambling (Premises Licence Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2007. This activity may include inspecting gambling premises to ensure that they are complying with their licence or dealing with complaints from residents or neighbours.
When you look for unlicensed casinos and casinos not on Gamstop, you are finding sites that are willing to break the rules. You should avoid non-UK licensed casinos, as they expose you to various risks. Coral is one of the most well-known UK-licensed casinos with a legendary reputation. The next UK licensed online casino we recommend is 21 Casino. All winnings from gambling in UK-regulated casinos are tax-free, while winnings from offshore sites carry the taxes of their origin country. You should choose a licensed online casino to ensure you are not left hanging if any problems arise.
We received a small number of responses from local authorities. Under Option 2(a), the Bingo Association has advised that 2 substantial multi-site bingo club operators and several single site operators would be disadvantaged by comparison to the current regime. Option 2(a) had more varied views across bingo operators. However, while Option 1 was the most common secondary option for many of these respondents in the original consultation, the majority of respondents to the supplementary consultation were supportive of Option 2(b) above Option 1. Another operator stated that both options could, over time, potentially lead to a 20% to 25% increase in Category B cabinets and would likely lead to the reduction of tablets and in-fills to at most a nominal level. The reason provided for this preference is that Options 2(a) and 2(b) would provide greater commercial flexibility over the long-term – with Option 2(b) providing the greater flexibility of the 2 options.
If a gambling company fails to comply with the regulations, it can face substantial fines from the Gambling Commission. All licensed operators must comply with the License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). Ancillary licenses apply to operators that provide telephone and email betting. The Commission has the authority to investigate and enforce regulations, impose penalties for non-compliance, and address concerns related to problem gambling. All of the legal UK casino sites we recommend hold a valid UKGC licence and meet these requirements.
Should session time be visible at all times to the customer on machines accepting direct cashless payments? In order to help customers make informed decisions and keep track of spending, the government considers that the display of session time and session net position (£) should be mandatory on machines that accept direct cashless payments. Should there be mandatory limits (default limits for time and monetary thresholds) on machines accepting direct cashless payments? The Commission will conduct a future review of the gaming machine technical standards.
The regulator has indicated that it may be less inclined to “settle” regulatory enforcement actions, particularly where operators have been made the subject of prior regulatory enforcement action, leaning towards the imposition of sanctions and penalties or, in more serious cases, suspensions and revocations of licences. For instance, since 28 February 2025, online gambling operators have been required to undertake a financial vulnerability check where a customer’s net spend exceeds £150 in a rolling 30-day period and, following the passing of secondary legislation, since May 2025 maximum stake limits per spin for online slot games are in place (£2 for those aged 18–24; £5 for those aged 25 and over). The main legislation governing gambling in the three forms identified in English law (gaming, betting and participating in a lottery) is the Gambling Act 2005. Free-to-play casino games with prizes are regulated as gaming and require a licence. The outcome of the Commission’s consultation on changes to financial key event reporting – which closed in March 2024 – is pending.Finally, in June 2025 the UK Government announced that it plans to introduce a “Voluntary Code” for prize draw operators whose offerings do not require a licence under the gambling framework because of the presence of a free entry route.
Live dealer games are famous for giving you the authentic feeling of gambling at a real casino. These new UK online casino sites are legit and run under the supervision of the UKGC. For instance, sites like Planet Sport Bet, London.bet, BresBet, and Betmaster just received their licences in 2026. We offer an array of resources to help you filter through all UK online casino from one sole list. Popular platforms also offer games from the best providers in the industry.In this section, you’ll find new online casino sites in the UK and suggestions for live casino games from top providers. The British online gambling market keeps expanding by the year, and players are always looking for better entertainment.
The stated aims of the Commission are to keep crime out of gambling, Ensure it is conducted in a fair and open manner and to protect the vulnerable. On receiving the application, we may make a representation to the local licensing authority about it. Details on the information that we require from licensing authorities.
Fees vary based on your casino’s Gross Gambling Yield (GGY). Each license ensures casino compliance with UKGC standards. The UKGC offers several licenses depending on your casino’s scope. The LCCP is not static, we make amendments or additions to take account of developments in the industry or emerging evidence on the most effective means of promoting socially responsible gambling.
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.
This response forms part of the government’s smarter regulation programme of regulatory reform measures that began in May 2023 with the publication of Smarter regulation to grow the economy. Information provided in response to this consultation (not including personal information) may be shared with other government departments and arm’s length bodies, such as the Department for Health and Social Care and the Gambling Commission. This means we have asked Qualtrics to collect your information via an online survey platform, which we will review as part of the consultation process. DCMS has commissioned a third party, Qualtrics, to collect your personal data on its behalf. All questions requesting an individuals personal information offer a ‘prefer not to say’ option.
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.
As well as a fixed numerical maximum, the number of gaming machines must not exceed a specified multiple of the number of gaming tables used in that casino (Regulation 3 of the 2009 Regulations addresses when a gaming table is to be treated as being used in a casino at a particular time) This enables the holder of a converted casino premises licence who wants to utilise the new entitlements to apply to the relevant licensing authority to vary that licence so the casino plan can show the location and extent of any part of the premises which will be a table gaming area. Extended converted casino premises are also a new category of premises which applies to those premises which take up their increased gaming machine allowance. Non-remote linked licences gaming machine technical For online platforms, a remote casino license covers digital operations, and a gambling software license is needed if you develop gaming software.
Moreover, the current framework does not solve the issue that unless customers actively plan to bring cash to a pub for use on a gaming machine, then they are unlikely to use one. The societal shift towards cashless payments threatens the future of gaming machine GGY. They also noted the cost of refloating machines, which has become more challenging for pubs where cash payments are not taken over the bar.
Reputable casinos often provide details about their license in the footer or a dedicated “About Us” or “Regulatory Information” section. You should be able to find the casino website’s name and information on whether the licence is active, inactive or white label. The UKGC maintains an up-to-date public register of all their licensed operators.