Full register of gambling businesses
Unlike the arcade sector, bingo clubs would not remove substantial numbers of tablets as these machines are primarily used for playing the game of bingo itself. As with the original consultation, Option 3 continued to be the preferred option for bingo operators. The supplementary consultation was shared with all of the initial respondents to the land-based gambling consultation who left contact information, and received 16 responses.
Sumsub explains how gambling businesses can stay compliant and avoid fines in the UK. Moving into the iGaming industry was a natural progression for Heath, initially focusing on sports betting content for major brands. In the most serious cases, a licence can be suspended or revoked. Gambling operators that breach these conditions can face fines, compliance audits, and regulatory monitoring. It sets standards to keep gambling fair and open, crime-free, and to protect consumers from harm. Online gambling is strictly regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
Alcohol licensed premises have an automatic entitlement to up to two category C or D machines upon notification to the Licensing Authority. Subject to the final Parliamentary procedures, the statutory instruments when approved will have the effect of adding new conditions to applicable non-remote casino premises licences seeking to take advantage of the new entitlements. For remote gambling, the Commission issues licences to those operators whose remote gambling equipment is located in the territory of Great Britain. 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. Search and browse all online casino operators holding Gambling Commission licences.
This will ensure that only distinct and sizeable table gaming areas can count towards the total, giving customers a genuine mix of products that are easily accessible and identifiable in a casino. The same 12.5% rule that applies in 2005 Act casinos is also proposed to apply for 1968 Act casinos that seek to move onto the new regime. Furthermore, this exemption is tightly drawn to reduce any advantages that these casinos may gain compared to their competitors. The government proposes that venues will be required to comply with all specified sliding scale requirements in order to access the enhanced gaming machine entitlement.
When you do not check if a UK casino is UKGC licensed before registering, you forfeit all the regulatory protections the UKGC mandates. The fastest and most reliable way to check if a UK casino is UKGC licensed is to search the official UKGC Public Register. In this guide, we explain exactly how to check if a UK casino is UKGC licensed in under two minutes — and why every UK player should do it before registering anywhere. Only operators holding an active UKGC licence can legally accept real-money bets from UK residents. In January 2020, the Gambling Commission approved several organisations for these compulsory funding contributions, ensuring that operators direct their financial support to recognised entities working to mitigate gambling harms.
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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.
- We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely uptake of additional machines by casinos.
- This would be in contrast to the review and potential implementation of improved verification protocols within online gambling.
- If a game developer provides its games to a UK online casino then it must have its own UKGC licence, with software complying to strict standards as well as many required features incorporated into each game.
- As set out in the white paper, the availability of gaming machines in British casinos is also very low compared to international jurisdictions, and an increase will help to meet the expectations of overseas visitors.
- So you must tell us the date you plan to start trading (this will be a condition of your licence, if granted).
Following the UK Government’s Gambling White Paper, UKGC licensing requirements were significantly strengthened in 2025–2026. On a properly licensed site, clicking the UKGC logo will link you directly to that operator’s register entry. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is the statutory regulator for all gambling in Great Britain. In July 2026, the Gambling Commission faced backlash for newly announced affordability and responsible gambling checks, which critics described as „rushed, flawed and hugely problematic“.
(Mandatory response)Significant increase / Small increase / No impact / Small Decrease / Significant Decrease / I don’t know (Mandatory response) A large increase in GGY / A small increase in GGY / No impact on GGY / A small decrease in GGY / A large decrease in GGY / I don’t know What impact would options 1, 2 and 3 have on Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) for businesses? (Mandatory response) A significant increase in ability to meet demand / A slight increase in ability to meet demand / No impact / A slight decrease in ability to meet demand / A significant decrease in ability to meet demand / I don’t know This will be used to model the estimated increase in GGY for each option in the final impact assessment.
Such a resolution must be published as part of the authority’s licensing policy statement made under Part 18, and lasts for 3 years from the date it takes effect. The licensing authority may take into account any principle or matter in making its decision, and may pass a resolution giving effect to their decision at any time. This decision is to be taken by the licensing authority as a whole, and may not be delegated to the licensing committee under sections 154 and 155. Where the licensing authority grants an application, a person who made representations may appeal.
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We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely uptake of additional machines by casinos. We estimate that most of the remaining casinos would also be able to benefit from increased machine allowances, proportionate to their size and non-gambling area. Should access to a greater number of gaming machines require compliance with each of the three size requirements outlined above?
They cover areas including random number generation, game integrity, player account management, and responsible gambling tools. The LCCP is updated periodically; licence holders are expected to monitor and implement changes as they come into effect. The LCCP, issued under Section 24 of the Gambling Act 2005, is the central compliance document for all UKGC licence holders. The primary legislation governing gambling in Great Britain is the Gambling Act 2005.
For UK players, a UKGC licence is the line between a protected experience and a gamble on the casino itself. You may see offshore casinos advertised as „non-GamStop“ or promising bigger bonuses with fewer checks. For more on how these rules shape bonuses and play, see our casino bonuses guide and our responsible gambling page. See our top UK casinos or full reviews for casinos we’ve already checked.
How these legislative changes affect the content of the Guidance to licensing authorities
The mandatory conditions vary depending on whether the holder of the licence has decided to exercise the extended entitlement, and if not, whether the floor area of the gambling area in the casino is 200m² or more. (3) The maximum number of separate betting positions that may be made available for use at any time in relation to betting machines is determined in accordance with the table below. 5.—(1) This paragraph applies to all premises in respect of which a converted casino premises licence has effect.
The consultation asked the following questions on allowing direct debit card payments on gaming machines. This will allow for targeted supportive measures to be taken for the sector, potentially including a more liberalised ratio of Category B gaming machines in these venues. The second priority is to ensure that customers receive a genuine offer of lower staking Category C and D gaming machines. As such, Option 2(a) has the added benefit of ensuring that all venues make a genuine offer of Category C and D gaming machines available to customers on device types which have genuine customer appeal. By contrast, Option 2(a) would likely increase the numbers of Category B cabinets in a similar proportion to Option 1, while safeguarding against the possible scenario in which Category B machines become the only cabinet gaming machines offered. The concern raised was that any variation of Option 2 would be damaging to tablet gaming machine manufacturers as this would likely lead to vast numbers of these machines being removed by operators.
For converted casinos, however, there is an additional restriction on the number of betting machines relative to the size of the floor area of gambling area in that casino. “extended converted casino premises” means premises in which gaming machines are made available for use in accordance with the extended gaming machine entitlement; You must hold an operating licence if you are intending to run a gambling business for profit such as a betting shop, a gaming machine arcade or a casino. The Commission has become aware that in some instances, operators who hold a combined non-remote casino licence and betting operating licence, have looked into converting part of their casino premises to betting premises. In Scotland the licensing boards are licensing authorities and continue to have responsibilities for granting permissions for casinos in the form of premises licences. Under the Act, licensing authorities in England and Wales have the role of issuing premises licences for casinos and monitoring those licences.
While heavily regulated, licensed online casinos still offer a whole lot of entertainment. We have selected the best UK licensed online casinos from hundreds of sites. Safety is the biggest factor for us, as licensed casinos are required to comply with the UKGC’s regulations. Yes, the UKGC licence covers all verticals of a casino’s operations including sports betting and live casinos too. It’s simple to check if a casino holds an online gambling licence UK, just scroll down to the bottom of any page and look for the distinctive logo of the UKGC, which should be displayed clearly and with a hyperlink to direct you to the casino’s licence lodged on the UKGC’s website. These licenses are necessary for land-based gambling businesses such as betting shops, bingo halls, casinos, and arcades.
Yet it remains the gold standard for European operators. The UK Gambling Commission operates one of the world’s casinos not on gamestop strictest licensing regimes. Always verify licence details on the official Gambling Commission website.
The register is more than a licensed-or-not switch. The register notes that domain names and trading names are provided by the gambling business, and that the Commission cannot guarantee the accuracy of information supplied by third parties. A genuine UK-licensed brand will be on the register under the exact domain it trades from. The account number is the six-figure reference a licensed operator is given. A site without that licence owes you none of those protections under UK law, however polished it looks. A UK Gambling Commission licence is the difference between a site that must follow British rules and one that does not.
When asked about the proposed minimum gambling area, table gaming area and non-gambling area requirements, the table gaming element received one-third less support than the other 2 requirements. Respondents were in favour of venues having to comply with all of the sliding scale requirements in order to increase their gaming machine allowances. • Any non-gambling area may consist of one or more areas within the premises.
Some parts of the regulatory framework for casinos are reserved while other aspects are devolved. These types of products do not provide any of the benefits of a casino gaming table in contributing to a balanced mix of products or affording opportunities for social interaction. These Regulations make amendments to the Gambling Act 2005 (Gaming Tables in Casinos) (Definitions) Regulations 2009 (opens in new tab) (the 2009 Regulations) to alter what constitutes a “gaming table” in a casino for the purposes of section 172(3) to (5) of the Gambling Act 2005. 1 This condition only applies to converted casinos that choose to exercise the extended entitlement.
A range of gambling activities are already authorised by the Act, by existing Regulations and some are further added by the new Regulations which came into force on 22 July 2025. The licence holder does not have to take any action other than make sure it adjusts its operation to deliver the changes included in the Gambling Act 2005 (Gaming Tables in Casinos) (Definitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (opens in new tab). The operator can do so without having to make an application to vary its OL (given that betting facilities are permitted by Regulation). More information on licence applications is available from the Commission’s webpage Operating Licences. Converted casino licensees are advised that those wishing to utilise the new extended entitlements will need to inform the Commission under the Licence Conditions and Code of Practice (LCCP) Ordinary Code Provision 8.1.1 (Information requirements).