Licensees Hub
A plain, step-by-step way to confirm whether a casino is licensed in Great Britain, using the UK Gambling Commission public register and a sceptical read of the footer. The Secretary of State will, by order, determine the locations of the new casinos after consulting Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Assembly. 457.This section sets an initial limit of 1 regional casino, and 8 small and 8 large casinos.
Using a debit card on a machine is a different experience for the customer compared to cash or tickets where a process such as going to an ATM has been undertaken before the person can put money onto the machine. The maximum transaction limit, aligned with a minimum transaction time, will provide an additional point of friction to the customer if they wish to put more than this amount onto the machine. However, customers can continue to deposit money onto the machine without needing to pause or undertake an action. Some responses stated it should be £1, in line with their view that cashless payments should not be permitted at all. A range of responses were given to what the maximum transaction should be for direct cashless payments. These regulations apply in different circumstances, including when a payer initiates an electronic payment transaction.
Where an authority invites applications, those applications may be in the form of an application for a provisional statement as well as in the form of an application for the grant of a full casino premises licence. Casino licence holders making changes to their gaming machine provision are expected to reflect these changes in their MLTF risk assessment and consider whether their policies, procedures and controls need updating. The Commission expects casino licence holders who introduce betting activity to update their MLTF risk assessments, considering all relevant risks and taking into account the betting sector risks published in the Commission’s risk assessment. The legislative changes allow for betting to be offered as an activity in converted casino premises. The changes allow casinos that were already operating when the Gambling Act 2005 (the Act) came into force, referred to as converted premises, to access new entitlements if certain conditions are met. This does not apply to a casino which was 1,500m² or larger on 12th May 2025, provided the size of that casino’s gambling area is not subsequently increased and the casino remains in the same premises.
(6) The premises must contain a non-gambling area, the floor area of which is no less than the lesser of— (3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4), in determining the floor area of the table gaming area, any number of separate areas within the premises may be taken into account. (2) The premises must contain a table gaming area, the floor area of which is no less than the lesser of— “(1) This paragraph applies to larger converted casino premises.”, and
445.In addition, licensing authorities have power to set individual conditions for a premises licence when they grant it. These powers can apply to all premises licences, or classes of licence, or to licences in specified circumstances. These powers can apply to all premises licences, or classes of licence or to licences in specified circumstances. 443.The Secretary of State and the Scottish Ministers have power to issue mandatory conditions on premises licences, for England and Wales, and Scotland respectively. 437.Sections 206 to 209 set out the appeal rights in relation to a decision of a licensing authority to grant or reject an application for a premises licence.
“larger converted casino premises” means premises in respect of which a converted casino premises licence has effect, and which— In fact, being part of the GamStop self-exclusion scheme is mandatory for all UK-licensed online operators. Rawa Kaftan is a regulatory lawyer in Wiggin’s Betting & Gaming team and advises key stakeholders in the gambling industry, including many of the world’s largest online B2C operators, software suppliers, payment service providers and investors. 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.
B2B « Host » Licences
The UKGC register is the best way to not only confirm that the licence exists, but also that it’s currently active and valid. Here, you should also be able to locate the relevant licence number of the operator. These operators are being held to the highest standards and must adhere to a rock solid regulatory framework. Established under the Gambling Act 2005, the UKGC is the governing body that is responsible for regulating every type of gambling in the UK. The UK has one of the most heavily regulated casino markets in the world and the sheer variety of platforms might feel overwhelming for newcomers. If you have a combination of different kinds of licence, you will get a discount on your annual fee.
Part 10 of the Act contains provisions on when such equipment counts as a gaming machine. 451.These regulations can also specify when tables, which are linked together by electronic means for example, are to count as a single table for the purpose of machine entitlements under this section. 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.
Wiggin serves as the leading advisor to the global gambling industry’s top players, setting itself apart by understanding both national and international laws and regulations like no other firm. He is a commercial and regulatory lawyer and specialises in all aspects of online and land-based gambling. It is also worth noting that, in recent months, the Gambling Commission issued an “Industry Warning Notice” to those B2B operators that it has licensed after observing that certain games developed by such licensees appear accessible to British consumers on B2C websites that are not licensed by the Commission. More generally, the Commission is known to issue cease and desist letters, carry out test purchasing, take steps to disrupt payment flows and engaging with search engines to prevent URLs belonging to unlicensed operators appearing in search results.
The application fees are assessed pursuant to a somewhat complex online calculation engine on the regulator’s website. There are numerous charitable lottery operators that operate under certain regulatory constraints. On 1 February 2024, the Gambling Commission granted Allwyn Entertainment Ltd a 10-year licence to operate the National Lottery, replacing the previous licensee Camelot. Persons wishing to enter the British land-based casino market have typically non gamestop casino purchased existing businesses. There are no tender or bidding processes, other than in the occasional case of land-based casino franchises being proposed.
The Risks of Playing at Casinos Without UKGC Licenses
This is a condition of your licence under LCCP Condition 8 – Display of licensed status. You are required to tell us about certain things that happen in your business, these are dependent on the licences and activities you hold. Compliance activity is based on risk and the risk that each licensed activity poses to the Gambling Commission’s licensing objectives.
For non-remote betting facilities, this would be a non-remote general betting (standard) operating licence. The effect of the amendments made by Regulation 2 (of the 2025 Regulations) is to make it clear that only gaming tables controlled or operated by casino staff can qualify as a gaming table for the purposes of calculating gaming machine allowances. These Regulations extend to England, Wales and Scotland and apply to all gaming tables in casinos from 22 July 2025.
The legislation also requires ATMs in gambling-licensed premises to be positioned so that any customer who wishes to use them must stop gambling in order to do so, while in pubs and clubs the rule comes from the Code of Practice. We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely uptake of additional Category B machines under each option, nor on how the average GGY per machine will change as a result. Category B machines are significantly more profitable for operators earning considerably higher GGY than Category C and D alternatives. We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely reduction of Category C and D machines under each option. This will include assessing the role of sessions limits across Category B and C machines alongside safer gambling tools.
- 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.
- Chapter 5 ‘Review of licensing authority fees’ outlines proposed changes to premises licence fees for Small 2005 Act casinos, which 1968 Act casinos that elect to move onto the new regime will also be subject to.
- The SI has the effect of adding a new condition to all remote casino operating licences.
- The equalising of these machine types may come at significant costs for some businesses.
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.
Regulations made by the Scottish Ministers dealing with the proceedings of licensing boards may make separate provision for the functions of the boards under the Licensing (Scotland) Act and under this Part. The procedures that apply to the proceedings of licensing boards in the exercise of their functions under that Act apply to the proceedings of those boards in relation to their functions under this Part. 422.In Scotland, licensing authorities are licensing boards established under section 1 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976.
Venues would be required to comply with these requirements in order to increase their gaming machine allowance. Respondents from the land-based gambling industry were generally supportive of proposals which would remove restrictions on supply, pointing to the unrestricted availability of the same products online. The consultation proposed a number of measures with a view to modernising the regulation that applies to land-based casinos. This fee enables licensing authorities to fund their enforcement and administrative gambling duties on a cost recovery basis. We will increase the maximum premises licence fees which can be charged by local authorities by 15%. To ensure that this is enforced we will make it a criminal offence to invite, cause or permit someone under the age of 18 to use these machines.
This licence allows you to manufacture, supply, install or adapt gambling software by means of remote communication. CasinoReg.co.uk only features casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. We don’t recommend Curacao-only casinos for UK players — always choose a site licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. We don’t feature them and recommend sticking to UKGC-licensed casinos, especially if you have self-excluded. Every UKGC-licensed casino displays an account (licence) number, usually in the footer, that links to its entry on the Commission’s public register.
Now is the time to confirm that the licence is active and valid. You can then verify the details directly on the official licence register. When playing from the UK, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) licence is the one that matters.
UK licensing demands preparation. Our ultimate gaming license guide compares timing and requirements across jurisdictions. Annual fees start at £3,155 for basic remote licenses. Getting licensed is the easy part. Approved operators receive their license certificate and unique license number.
Categories include land-based, online, and ancillary licenses (e.g., phone or email betting). Remote gambling licenses cover online operations. The draft Casinos Regulations form part of a package of interlinked statutory instruments which make changes to the regulatory framework for land-based casinos. Draft statutory instruments that form part of the package of measures that will change the regulatory framework for land-based casinos. Many such sites promote unlicensed operators or are influenced by commercial relationships rather than player interests.
He specialises in gambling regulation and intellectual property law. To discuss trialling these LexisNexis services please email customer service via our online form. It also covers licence conditions, variation and termination of each licence together with reforms introduced by the Commission. Search by name, licence or account number Our experts will be happy to help you navigate the complexities of obtaining a UK gambling license, determine which licenses you need, and avoid unnecessary costs.