UKGC licensing — FAQs

Remote casino game host operating licence

This includes tools to help control your gambling and easy access to problem gambling resources. You should play at licensed casino sites to have a secure, fair, and responsible experience. On receiving the application, we may make a representation to the local licensing authority about it.

You are required to tell us about certain things that happen in your business, these are dependent on the licences and activities you hold. If we grant you a licence to run a gambling business, you will be able to download a copy of your licence from eServices. The following guidance is specific to casino games, and is relevant to those who hold a casino licence. The LCCP outlines the requirements that all operating and personal licence holders must follow. The following legislation and policies are also applicable to operating licence holders. You can read more about the legal definition of casinos in Part 1 section 7 of the Gambling Act 2005 (opens in new tab).

For one, in the UK, the gambling rules are clear, with proper regulation that keeps things legit. The UK framework gives players a few practical checks to look for before joining a casino. Real players know that gambling should be fun. With so many options out there, it’s fair to ask how you actually pick the best one.

Some have expressed a desire to do more to apply local considerations in their areas when making licensing decisions. For example, existing powers, such as local policy statements, allow licensing authorities to account for factors such as public health and crime. In England and Wales, the government sets a cap and licensing authorities have flexibility below that to set their fees. The maximum annual fee for an adult gaming centre (arcade) is £1,000 in England and Wales, and £700 in Scotland. For example, the maximum annual fee for a large casino is £10,000 in England and Wales, and £7,500 in Scotland.

The Behavioural Insights Team highlighted some research they had undertaken on individuals’ experiences of gambling management tools. Many of the responses from outside of industry were strongly in favour of staff alerts but argued that they needed to be complemented by staff training so that they can intervene in a meaningful way. Non-industry responses were supportive of staff alerts being mandated, while views were split across industry. The Behavioural Insights Team’s response to the consultation recommended that voluntary limits that are strongly encouraged are used over mandatory limits as the evidence of the impact of the latter is limited. However, what the mandatory limits should be and how long the cooling-off period should be once the limits are hit prompted a wide range of responses.

UKGC licensing — FAQs

Where 1968 Act casinos are smaller than these requirements, we have proposed that they are able to benefit from an increased number of machines on a pro rata basis commensurate with their size and non-gambling area, and subject to the same ratio. The rules have also incentivised holders of multiple 1968 Act casino licences to operate them as separate entities in the same premises for the purpose of increasing machine numbers. As outlined in the white paper, it is our intention to bring greater coherence to the licence system by allowing 1968 Act casinos of a certain size to have the same gaming machine allowance as Small 2005 Act casinos.

The best casino games depend on your playing style. A properly licensed UK casino should not cheat players. Rankings should remain useful first and include licence, terms and safer-play context. Once you see the badge on a casino’s site, you know it is legit.Just so you know, the Gambling Commission does not hand out licenses for nothing.

Gambling in the United Kingdom

As previously discussed, an optimal strategy to combat disassociation when gambling combines breaks in play with safer gambling messaging. (Optional response) Open text box (Optional response)i) Monetary thresholds ii) Time thresholds Sliding scale However, the government believes that there could be casino not on gamstop benefits to harmonising these measures as part of direct cashless gambling.

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.

Evidence pointed to customer demand – 88% of casino customers at a major casino chain are currently betting on sports online at least once a month, including on mobile devices while in 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. According to data from Health Survey England from 2012 to 2018, 25.7% of those who played on slot (electronic gaming) machines were classified as at-risk gamblers. Should access to a greater number of gaming machines require compliance with each of the three size requirements outlined above?

• These organisations offer free, confidential support for anyone affected by gambling.
• However, given the relatively low level of annual fees per premises at present, we consider this to be unlikely.
• If you believe an operator has breached licence conditions, you may also report concerns directly to the Gambling Commission.
• Further details of proposed new operating licence fees will follow in due course.
• They also stated that individual gambling businesses should be allowed to decide if they would like to update their systems to provide direct debit card payments as it would be a significant cost to businesses to update all machines to have this functionality.
• 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.

Unlike most commercial gambling, Category D gaming machines, which include coin pushers and crane grabs, are not restricted by age. For online platforms, a remote casino license covers digital operations, and a gambling software license is needed if you develop gaming software. It is noted that, for the casino sector, this proposal will be taken forward in the context of plans to harmonise the operating and premises licence fees between 1968 Act casinos and 2005 Act Small casinos. The consultation sought evidence as to the current level of funding received by licensing authorities in the form of gambling premises fees, alongside the number of premises licence applications which they receive and the number of live premises licences in their areas. We believe that the implementation of voluntary test purchasing is an important safeguard for ensuring that premises are abiding by the proposed ban on the use of ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style gaming machines by those aged under-18.

How casinos handle issues says a lot, so we test response times and how helpful support actually is. We only feature licensed and regulated UK online casinos that meet the modern standards for fair and safe play. At online-casinos.co.uk, we’ve been helping potential UK players find the best online casinos since the dial-up days. Looking for the best online casinos in the UK?

This does not distinguish between ‘cash-out’ and ‘ticket-out’ machines. The survey found that in the last 12 months, 3% of respondents had spent their own money on fruit or slot machines and a total of 6% had experience of playing on fruit or slot machines. While under-18s may make up a small proportion of total players, there is evidence that they do play on these machines. We expect this measure to restrict the play of under-18s on machines in scope. On the basis that the demand from these machines comes largely from adults, we expect a limited impact on GGY from these machines as a result of this measure, especially with machines remaining where they can be played by adults who are accompanied by children. Any more restrictive changes could potentially exacerbate the impact on places like seaside arcade economies by making these machines inaccessible to adults accompanied by children.

This will act as a safeguard in case someone tries to put more than £100 onto the machine. It will also help mitigate against the risk of someone putting a significant sum of money onto a machine in one go. 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.

Government response

It’s not the same as a land-based casino, but with HD live streaming and real professional dealers, that’s the closest experience you can get. You also get to know how the casino improves your experience over time. The flat additional annual fee payable for a licence that combines all three activities is £12,500.

From selling personal data and identity theft to promoting gambling to vulnerable players, these safety regulations are important. Safety is the biggest factor for us, as licensed casinos are required to comply with the UKGC’s regulations. To help us maintain accurate records, we find it useful if licensing authorities also inform us if they revoke a premises licence (for example, due to non-payment of the annual fee). To obtain a premises licence, a person or business must first hold an operating licence from us authorising them to carry out the activity in respect of which the premises licence is applied for. Obtaining a gambling license for an offline casino in the UK is impossible without permission to own and operate dedicated gambling premises. The United Kingdom is one of the most developed countries in the gambling industry, where casinos and other forms of gambling are officially permitted.

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.

It also lists premises that are subject to an application to vary the licence (shown as ‘VARIATION’). The Gambling Commission licenses and regulates gambling operators in Great Britain. It depends on your preferences, but according to our experts the top online casino in the UK for August 2026 is Duelz. So, even if you link a credit card to your PayPal account, using it to deposit at casinos is still blocked under the UKGC ban, even indirectly through e-wallets.

There has also been a decline in gaming machine usage in alcohol licensed premises. Gaming machines are currently permitted in a variety of locations and divided into various categories based on factors such as maximum stake and prize available, as well as the premises where they may be used. Some licensed betting offices also use a cross-channel digital wallet that can be topped up at cash desks as well as on the operator’s website and used on machines. We will use the responses to this consultation as well as wider engagement with the sector to gather data to estimate the likely change in machine configuration in bingo and arcade venues. Category B machines are significantly more profitable for operators earning considerably higher GGY than Category C and D alternatives.

The higher end takes into consideration that some local authorities may need additional funding to carry out the full extent of administration of their gambling duties and gambling enforcement, such as the development of policy statements. We do not currently have sufficient evidence to inform an appropriate percentage increase to the current cap on licensing fees. Any fee increase must be linked to the cost to that particular local authority of carrying out its gambling functions. We recognise that the maximum for licensing authority fees has not been updated since 2007, during which time inflation has inevitably reduced its value.

If you’re looking for fast withdrawal casinos in the UK, try out Casumo, QuickBet, and WinWindsor Casino. As it’s the largest gambling market in the world, the United Kingdom makes sure that all casino sites adhere to its strict legislation. Plus, you’ll get access to ample responsible gambling tools to keep your gaming habits under control.

It is possible that there will be wider costs if the increase in fees means that existing premises are unable to afford their total fees and close down as a result, or if new premises decide not to open due to the higher fees. We assume that licensing authorities will increase their current charged fees in proportion with the increase in the maximum fee cap. This would potentially generate an additional £2,340,000 in total annual funding for local authorities and increase average annual costs per premises by £251. This would potentially generate an additional £1,560,000 in total annual funding for local authorities and increase average annual costs per premises by £167. This would potentially generate an additional £780,000 in total annual funding for local authorities and increase average annual costs per premises by £84.