Licensees Hub
Some trade associations also highlighted the GamCare Code of Conduct for the display of socially responsible messaging, which they adhere to and requires that 20% of screen content displays safer gambling messages. The overwhelming thrust of responses was that any messaging should be based on evidence. This question elicited the most detailed responses in this chapter from a wide variety of respondents. This proposal will help build a picture of the customer’s play and is already standard in betting shops.
In considering operating licence applications the Commission will include assessment of the suitability of those persons considered relevant to the application. Personal licences are required by those performing a specified management or operational function. Further guidance as to the types of operation or activity that might be exempt from requiring an operating licence can be found on our website. This chapter sets out the Commission’s approach to considering operating and personal licence applications, the kinds of evidence considered when assessing an application, and the process for assessing applications and notifying the outcome. To fully comply with this provision, operators are required to refrain from placing ads that promote betting on websites that target children. Under the new rules, financial penalties paid by British gambling operators would be paid directly to the government’s accounts, rather than being directed to charities and research bodies.
Timeline of Changes
Premises Licenses relate to non-remote businesses and give permission for using facilities to operate as casinos (or for other gambling activity). Furthermore, the UK has specific regulations for remote gambling operators. Covers high street betting shops, casinos, bingo halls and adult gaming centres. Navigate our comprehensive database of Gambling Commission licensed operators, brands and licences For casinos which exercise the extended entitlement and other larger converted casino premises, a new mandatory condition in paragraph 4 of Part 5 of Schedule 1 to the 2007 Regulations requires that the floor area of the gambling area is less than 1,500m². New paragraph 3 of Part 5 of Schedule 1 to the 2007 Regulations attaches additional mandatory conditions to converted casino premises licences that apply only if the holder decides to exercise the extended entitlement.
Non-Remote Licences
The majority of responses received came from respondents within the bingo and arcade sectors. Do you have any additional insights or evidence relating to recent trends in GGY, profit and costs for bingo and AGC operators? The 2 additional options consulted were Option 2(a) and Option 2(b). Therefore, under Option 1, we believe there is significant potential for operators to offer predominantly Category B cabinets while meeting their Category C and D ratio through in-fills and tablets.
What types of licenses are there?
We can also analyse average loss and session length data to consider the possible risks of gambling harm for those customers who increase their gambling participation as a result of these measures. Notably, these rates are below the at-risk and problem gambling rates for casino table games (31.5% and 6.4% respectively). • Any non-gambling area may consist of one or more areas within the premisesDo you agree that this should remain the same under the new regime? It is for the Scottish Ministers to consider whether they want to amend the Mandatory and Default Conditions that apply to casinos located in Scotland. Therefore, we would welcome any responses which highlight concerns about this approach and how non-gambling areas could be calculated using a different method.
In July 2026, UK ministers began a crackdown on unlicensed casinos sponsoring sports teams. Under the second stage of the process the authority has to decide between the competing applications and grant any available licences to those applications which in their opinion will result in the greatest benefit to its area. This process will result in one or more provisional decisions to grant a premises licence, which will be disclosed to the applicant and any party that made representations.
If licensing decisions are delayed due to applicants’ failure to provide adequate information in good time, those applicants can expect their application to be determined on the basis of the information the Commission has available to it, with the risk the application will be refused. While the Commission is willing to engage with applicants through requests for clarification or further information, it will seek to expedite matters at all times, and will not allow uncooperative applicants to delay licensing decisions. This indicates that the applicant is unlikely to pose a risk to the licensing objectives; the applicant has a proven track record of being able to carry on the licensed activities in question; the applicant has a proven track record of being able to meet the requirements of the Act and the Commission’s LCCP. This indicates that the applicant is unlikely to pose a risk to the licensing objectives; the applicant appears to be suitable to carry on the licensed activities in question; the applicant appears likely to be able to meet the requirements of the Act and the Commission’s LCCP. This indicates that there is less risk to the licensing objectives; the applicant meets the minimum expectations regarding suitability; the applicant just meets the requirements of the Act and the Commission’s LCCP.
The government’s preference is for a 30 second minimum cooling-off period, but we would be content with a longer minimum time period if evidence provided in response to the Gambling Commission’s consultation suggests that longer is needed in order to protect players. Other responses from outside of industry thought that the cooling-off period should be longer, with respondents stating either 60 or 120 seconds. We think that this 30 second transaction time, coupled with the other player protection measures that we are proposing, should ensure that the use of direct debit cards on a machine has a similar level of friction to playing with cash. Following 30 seconds, the player would be able to start depositing money onto the machine. We would suggest that the 30 second period should start from when the machine has read the card and approved the payment.
Therefore, we would like to understand whether licensing authorities consider that they have casinos not on gamstop the powers they need to ensure that the current rules can be adequately enforced. Ensuring that regulation of land-based and online sectors is more equitable will assist recovery and enable the sector to remain viable. Data was also provided on the increase in session times at busy periods in a 1968 Act casino, compared to a 2005 Act casino of comparable size.
If more applications are received than the number of available licences, the authority must determine whether each application would be granted a licence if there were no limit on the number of licences that the authority could grant. Authorities should think carefully before entering into any agreements or arrangements with potential casino operators which might be perceived to affect their ability to exercise their stage two functions objectively and without having prejudged any of the issues. However, the law does not prevent unlicensed casinos such as Stake – and a host of other brands that chiefly target football viewers in east Asia – from sponsoring British clubs.
This is because the Commission has to be satisfied with a number of issues, such as, detailed financial forecasts, profit/loss projections, market research and analysis and more, before issuing a licence. The Commission requires significant levels of detailed information on both the proposed business model as well as the personal details and financial arrangements of the individual(s) seeking the licence. Search by name, licence or account number While they are also reputable bodies, they do not permit operators to accept UK players. In your quest, you may also come across operators that feature licenses from other bodies, like the Malta Gaming Commission and the Government of Curacao.
- This indicates that the applicant is unlikely to pose a risk to the licensing objectives; the applicant appears to be suitable to carry on the licensed activities in question; the applicant appears likely to be able to meet the requirements of the Act and the Commission’s LCCP.
- The personal information we collect and process is the data provided to us directly by you in the responses to this consultation.
- This relates primarily to underused Category C and D gaming machines.
- First thing to do is to check the casino’s footer for the UKGC logo.
Stake was at the centre of multiple controversies before it finally left the UK last year when its “white label” partner, TGP Europe, gave up its licence to operate. Stake.com is one of the largest gambling companies in the world and there is no suggestion that David was referring to the company, or that it has committed any wrongdoing. Days later, the Gambling Commission put sports teams on notice that they and their executives could be liable for prosecution if they were found to have promoted unlicensed gambling businesses that transact with British consumers. Stake effectively surrendered its licence to operate in Britain last year, amid a regulatory review of practices, including apparent promotion of the brand by the porn actor Bonnie Blue. “We face the prospect of our prime minister wearing an Everton shirt and becoming a billboard for a crypto casino, which would be outrageous. “Burnham became stridently anti-gambling when he became mayor of Manchester, but his own football club is taking money from an unregulated gambling company,” said the source.
In 2025, new rules cap online slot stakes at £2 for players aged and £5 for those 25 and older, reflecting a push for responsible gambling. The UKGC’s online fee calculator helps estimate costs, making it easier to plan how to open a casino in the UK. For example, a small non-remote casino with a GGY under £550,000 pays around £5,341 annually. Whether you’re launching a high-street venue or a digital platform, understanding casino licensing requirements UK is the first step. To operate legally, every UK casino must secure UKGC licensing, a rigorous process designed to uphold industry standards.
Itregulates various forms of gambling, including online gambling, sports betting, casino gaming, lotteries, and others. Covers internet casinos, betting websites, online bingo and virtual gaming platforms. Search and verify casinos, betting sites, bingo platforms and gaming operators authorised to serve British players. The maximum number of gaming machines that may be made available for use on the premises remains unchanged at 80. 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. The second stage of the process only applies where the number of applications which the licensing authority would provisionally grant under the stage one process exceeds the number of available casino premises licences.
The most important factor is a valid UK Gambling Commission licence, which you can verify on the UKGC website. Most operators allow you to browse the lobby without creating an account, which gives you a sense of how the interface performs. Mobile-optimised websites accessed through a browser are the more common approach among newer operators. Knowing what to look for protects both your money and your personal data. Signing up at a UKGC-licensed casino is a straightforward process.
An operating licence allows you to provide gambling activities to customers in Great Britain. That said, established casinos with longer track records give some players extra reassurance. Most of the casinos in this list process the majority of withdrawals within 24 hours.
Casinos that accept UK players without a UK Gambling Commission licence are operating outside UK regulation, so they don’t provide UK player protections such as GAMSTOP, fund safeguarding or independent complaints. A UKGC licence is authorisation from the UK Gambling Commission for a company to offer gambling to players in Great Britain. James verifies the licence of every casino CasinoReg reviews on the UK Gambling Commission public register. Every UKGC-licensed casino displays an account (licence) number, usually in the footer, that links to its entry on the Commission’s public register.
However, it is our intention to apply a fixed maximum of 80 gaming machines per physical location. The government proposes that a new regime will apply to 1968 Act casinos that seek to increase their gaming machine entitlement. There were mixed views on casinos’ ability to hold multiple licences at the same physical location. It was proposed that the requirements would form part of a new regime that operators would have the option of moving onto, taking up a new gaming machine entitlement under the new rules. Over half of respondents who indicated an intention to move onto the new regime stated they would look to take up the maximum entitlement of 80 gaming machines in at least some of their venues (57%).
447.Part 10 of the Act defines a gaming machine, and gives the Secretary of State power to make rules about their categorisation and use or manufacture and supply. These conditions are ones which apply to a licence unless the licensing authority decides to exclude them (in which case the authority can impose alternative conditions relating to the same matter). Where the licensing authority rejects an application for a licence, the applicant may appeal. Where the licence is refused, the licensing authority must give reasons for their decision.
As part of the gambling laws in the UK, licensees must obtain and verify the identity of a customer before permitting them to gamble. Personal licenses cover the key personnel of gambling businesses. The local authority is in charge of determining all the premises’ fees. In addition, the applicant should prove their right to occupy the premises. The exact cost can be calculated by using the Gambling Commission’s online calculator. Gambling businesses need an operating license to provide the services mentioned in the section above.