Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice
Where a gambling business delays a request to withdraw funds due to insufficient ID, they may be in breach of Licence Condition 17 – Customer identity verification and may be subject to regulatory action. However, there may be occasions where a gambling business can only ask you for information at that time in order to fulfil legal obligations. Our rules say that a gambling business can’t ask you to prove your age and identity as a condition of withdrawing your money if they could have asked you at an earlier point. Including information on how we carry out assessments, your responsibilities under the LCCP and our new sector guides with detailed guidance and policies by the sectors we licence. Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once For accurate premises information, Licensing Authorities should be contacted directly as they will each maintain an accurate and up to date register.
If licensing authorities do not feel like they have the powers they need, we would like to know whether any changes could be made to the regulatory framework to address this issue. Therefore, we would like to understand whether licensing authorities consider that they have 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.
Do you think premises should adopt voluntary test purchasing as a way to monitor under-18s activity on Category D ‘cash-out’ slot-style machines? Further research finds evidence that there is a correlation between the recollection of playing Category D machines in childhood and adult disordered gambling, although causation cannot be shown. Bacta, which represents the amusement and gaming machine industry in the UK, have an existing voluntary commitment for their members to ban all under-18s from playing Category D ‘cash-out’ machines. However, Category C machines must be in a segregated part of the premises that is supervised to prevent children and young people accessing those machines. Licensed operators are required to place Category B and C machines in age-restricted areas to ensure that under-18s do not have access to them. This change will not only strengthen the existing voluntary commitment from industry, by making it an offence to allow under-18s to play this type of gaming machine, it will also level the field between operators who are signed up to the voluntary code and those who are not.
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As outlined in the table below, we propose that casinos with a gambling area of 280sqm or less are allowed 16 machines, increasing by two machines for every additional 20sqm of gambling space, up to 40 machines. This entitlement will not be restricted by any space requirements or whether the casino has decided to increase its number of gaming machines under the new regime. We will use the responses to this consultation as well as wider engagement with the sector to gather data to estimate the likely uptake of additional machines by casinos. 1968 Act casinos will only be eligible to site more than 20 machines if their gambling area is at least 280sqm.
Rules introduced by the Gambling Commission in 2021 for online slots games mandate the display of money and time spent during a session. Players could also benefit from objective statements about their gambling activity rather than purely internal budgeting during sessions. In your view, is there any specific safer gambling messaging that should be considered within cashless gambling? As previously discussed, an optimal strategy to combat disassociation when gambling combines breaks in play with safer gambling messaging.
The data used in this section reflects activity from April to September 2019 and relates to a single session on a particular machine. These rates are lower than the majority of other gambling products, although remain above the at-risk and problem gambling rates for ‘any gambling activity’. These represent transition costs which are expected to be incurred in the first few years of implementation, with exact timescales depending on the option taken forward. For example, as previously highlighted, evidence provided by Bacta shows that the average stake placed on a Category B3 game is between £1.20 – £1.30, compared to 40p – 60p for a Category C machine. Under such circumstances, and given the relatively higher stakes and losses set out in the rationale for change, there is the potential for gambling-related harm to increase.
- If you have a combination of different kinds of licence, you will get a discount on your annual fee.
- UK legislation supports entrepreneurs engaged in the gambling sector.
- DCMS is consulting on policy options for measures relating to the land-based gambling sector.
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CAP Code Section 16 specifically addresses gambling advertising, including promotional terms. Online casino promotions, including welcome bonuses and free spins, are subject to ASA/CAP code requirements on clarity and non-misleadingness. Several of the highest-value UKGC fines in recent years arose from casino-specific failures around customer interaction obligations and anti-money laundering processes. Enforcement actions in this category tend to be costly.
A non-licensed casino can’t legally accept UK players, and can not advertise their games to British players. All UK casino sites that operate legally in the UK are licensed. Licensed casinos are obligated to be transparent in their operations, including clear terms and conditions, bonus guidelines, and withdrawal policies.
Such permission may come from a licence, permit, or registration granted in accordance with the Act or from an exemption given by the Act. The primary legislation governing gambling in Great Britain is the Gambling Act 2005 (opens in new tab). Where a licensing authority issues a provisional statement following a two-stage determination process, they may limit the period of time for which the statement has effect. There is no right of appeal against the grant or refusal at stage two although an applicant may seek judicial review of a licensing authority’s decision. Until any appeal has been determined, the licensing authority may not proceed to stage two. The provisional decision of the licensing authority at stage one may be appealed.
In order to produce a more robust estimate for funding raised, we require additional data on the current number of licence applications and live licences. The additional annual cost per premises is an average across all premises types and in reality, will differ depending on the type of licence held. The additional annual cost per premises and the total additional annual funding for licensing authorities has been estimated using existing premises numbers.
Customer interaction
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 purchased existing businesses. There are no tender or bidding processes, other than in the occasional case of land-based casino franchises being proposed.
The UK gambling industry is evolving, and 2025 has brought some of the most significant regulatory reforms in over a decade. Each license is tailored to specific business models and activities, whether online or land-based. Before applying, it is crucial to understand the different categories of gambling licenses offered by the UK Gambling Commission. The UK Gambling Commission regulates gambling under the Gambling Act 2005. But beyond legality, it signals trustworthiness and responsible gambling standards to players, investors, and other regulators. The UK remains one of the most competitive and tightly regulated gambling markets in the world.
You can apply online for a licence from us to provide casino activities. You will need to apply for an operating licence, before you apply for any premises licences. You will need to apply to the licensing authority the premises is located, to get a premises licence. The Gambling Act 2005 permits the advertising of gambling in all forms, provided that it is legal and there are adequate protections in place to prevent such advertisements undermining the licensing objectives. 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.
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.
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 non gamestop casinos 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.
This restriction, alongside requirements for non-gambling area, will only apply to those 1968 Act casinos that decide to exercise the enhanced gaming machine entitlement. Only casinos that have a gambling area of 280sqm or more will be eligible to access the enhanced gaming machine entitlement. As gaming machine allowances and machine to table ratios for 1968 Act casinos and Small 2005 Act casinos converge, more consistent size requirements should apply across the two types of licence to ensure a degree of fairness and consistency. Do you perceive there to be any issue with allowing multiple casino licences in the same physical location if gaming machine entitlements are increased as proposed? 1968 Act casinos that are smaller than the configurations of a 2005 Act Small casino but have a gambling area equal to or greater than 280sqm will be able to increase their gaming machine allocations on a pro rata basis commensurate with gambling area.
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. This research recommended that the use of personalised messaging based on an individual’s own patterns of gambling may be more effective than generic messages. Others cited research which has been undertaken on safer gambling messaging, including from the Behavioural Insights Team and the Personal Finance Research Centre (University of Bristol). Some respondents from outside of industry stated that safer gambling messages should be designed independently of industry and that some of the existing industry-led safer gambling messages are ineffective. 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.
A flat additional annual fee of £3,750 is payable for a licence that combines two of game host (casino), game host (bingo) and betting host (virtual events only). A flat additional application fee of £1,570 is payable for a licence that combines two of game host (casino), game host (bingo) and betting host (virtual events only). A flat additional application fee of £1,256 is payable for a licence that combines two of game host (casino), game host (bingo) and betting host (virtual events only). Some gambling software businesses provide facilities for remote gambling by making their games available to customers of other operators. Online.casino, or O.C, is an international guide to gambling, providing the latest news, game guides and honest online casino reviews conducted by real experts. One of the main benefits of a national gambling licensing system is that it can help casino customers regulate their gambling within the system.
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.
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is a respected EU regulator — many good operators hold both — but on its own it doesn’t provide UK-specific protections like GAMSTOP. If gambling itself is causing difficulty, please see our responsible gambling page for free, confidential support. UK licensing conditions have tightened significantly, making Britain one of the most protective markets in the world. Each of our reviews lists the operator and licence number, verified on the public register. Casinos must verify you’re 18+ and confirm your identity (KYC), which protects against under-age gambling and fraud, and keeps your account secure.
Plus, you’ll get access to ample responsible gambling tools to keep your gaming habits under control. Whatever your answer is, you should always choose British gambling sites running under a valid licence from the UKGC. Almost all UK casinos offer top-notch desktop sites you can access through your browser.
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.