Remote casino operating licence
Eligibility for a British gambling licence depends upon the Gambling Commission’s assessment of a variety of factors, primarily the integrity and probity of the applicant and the applicant’s ability to conduct gambling in a solvent and responsible manner in compliance with law and regulation. Free-to-play casino games with prizes are regulated by the Gambling Commission (licence required). Casino gaming (including slots and casino table games such as roulette & blackjack)
When was the UKGC founded?
The Commission licenses and regulates commercial gambling operators and ensures gambling is conducted fairly, openly and free from crime. Required for businesses providing gambling software, hosting services or technical infrastructure to licensed operators. Required for land-based gambling premises throughout Great Britain. Required for online gambling operations serving British customers. The Gambling Commission issues different licence categories based on gambling activities and delivery methods Understand UKGC licence categories including Remote, Non-Remote and Ancillary licences.
These are the types of gambling licences you will need to run your gambling business. The first annual fee (for the non-remote Casino 2005 Act operating licence only) will be reduced by 50 percent. The first annual fee for a non-remote (2005 Act (opens in new tab)) casino licence is due six months after the licence is issued to you. A large casino under the 2005 Act (opens in new tab) has a minimum table gaming area of 1,000 square metres and a minimum non-gambling area of 500 square metres.
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. The Act requires licensing authorities to comply with any code of practice issued by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State has issued a code of practice about the procedure to be followed by licensing authorities in making determinations at both stage one and stage two, and also about the matters authorities are to take into account in making such determinations. We use our regulatory powers to take enforcement action if we find individuals or businesses failing to follow our rules and regulations.
Option 2(b)
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 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.
It is based on your gross gambling yield. The statutory levy is a mandatory payment that funds research, education, and treatment related to gambling harm. For small operators, fees non gamstop casinos start at £4,224, with higher annual fees for bigger operators.
A series of key proposals specifically relating to the land-based gambling sector were outlined in the white paper, including measures to adjust outdated regulatory restrictions applying to the sector. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published its gambling white paper in April 2023, which set out the government’s plans for modernising the regulation of the gambling sector. This response forms part of the government’s smarter regulation programme of regulatory reform measures that began in May 2023 with the publication of Smarter regulation to grow the economy. Make sure to check your local regulatory requirements before you choose to play at any casino listed on our site. If you are serious about wanting to quit gambling altogether, it could be a good idea to use Gamban in conjunction with Gamstop for an even more enhanced effect.
This process of formal review – Section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005 – can result in almost any sort of penalty from the regulator, including suspension and revocation of licences. Personal licences tend to have a five-year duration and must, however, be renewed. This distinction cannot be ignored, and the regulator has no power to grant a licence that authorises both remote and land-based activity.
Our gambling and casino AML software helps gambling businesses comply with regulations. UK gambling regulations consist of strict AML policies and complex licensing procedures. You can verify any UK gambling licence using our search tools or by visiting the official Gambling Commission public register at gamblingcommission.gov.uk. The Commission has powers to grant, review and revoke licences, impose financial penalties, and prosecute illegal gambling operations. Suspended or revoked licences mean the operator is not currently authorised to provide gambling services. All gambling operators wishing to offer services to customers in Great Britain must hold the appropriate UKGC licence.
- With the exception of the previously stated restricted circumstances, any other provision of facilities for remote gambling will require a remote casino operating licence.
- In practice, this means that in many areas the Act sets a framework, with more detailed rules set out in regulations made under the Act.
- Premises licence holders must also send us copies of applications to transfer or vary their premises licence(s), or apply for a reinstatement of any lapsed licence(s).
- Most responses in favour of implementing these features on machines were in agreement with the rationale outlined in the consultation that it would help customers to make more informed decisions and keep track of their spending.
Please see the casino (host), bingo (host), general betting (host) (real events) or general betting (host) (virtual events) licences for further details. If you manufacture gambling software, but also provide facilities for gambling only in circumstances in which you host those facilities through other operators’ platforms, then you may be eligible to hold a host operating licence. Some gambling software businesses provide facilities for remote gambling by making their games or betting content available to customers of other operators.
We do not propose that these machines should be required to be moved to an age-restricted area. We propose to move the voluntary commitment into legislation, introducing a legal age limit of 18 on Category D ‘cash-out’ slot-style machines. In order to future proof the gaming machine industry and adapt to modern payment technologies, we are seeking views on a range of player protections that will ensure players can use modern payment methods whilst mitigating the risk of harm. Without intervention, there is a risk that machines could become obsolete as we move towards a “cashless” society. The white paper proposed to reform the 80/20 rule in response to evidence that the current rule does not allow operators to adequately meet consumer demand, while still providing a balanced product offer to customers.
Some gambling software businesses provide facilities for remote gambling by making their games available to customers of other operators. You have the option to select ‘Prefer not to say’ in response to any of the questions that ask for your personal data. The government is considering raising maximum licence fees for gambling premises. If you are a local authority/ licensing board, how many premises licence applications did you receive in the 22/23 financial year? We expect that wider benefits will arise from the increase in oversight and enforcement activity by licensing authorities of gambling premises in their area and are seeking further information to better understand these benefits. 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.
Bacta have argued, however, that the benefits to operators would not be as substantial as those outlined in Option 1. Data provided by industry indicates that this option would achieve to a limited extent the objective of ensuring commercial flexibility. Option 2 would likely remove any incentive for operators to not abide by ‘available for use’ guidance. This proposal outlined in Option 2 would require any such premises to have one Category C or D cabinet for each Category B cabinet it sites.
Premises licenses are issued by the licensing authority responsible for the area where the premises are located. This license also allows for online gambling operations. The UK has several types of licenses related to operating a gambling business. Do you want to stay compliant with UK gambling regulations?
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.
We also strongly disagree with the assertion that Category D crane grab machines should not have a maximum transaction limit. They also said that there should not be a maximum transaction limit on Category D crane grab machines. For example, a person leaving a gaming machine to go to an ATM will be required to enter their PIN.
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 would also apply for in-fill and tablet gaming machines. Our objective in reforming the ratio of Category C and D to Category B gaming machines is to support a sector which has experienced significant commercial challenges in recent years through increased flexibility over their gaming machine offer. This chapter outlines the evidence received in relation to the white paper proposal to amend the ratio of Category C and D to Category B gaming machines in arcade and bingo venues.
Open a review for the detailed test results, or head straight to the casino site. The experts at Online-Casinos.com have tested over 120 casino sites to find perks like fair bonuses, high payout rates, and diverse games. The UKGC implemented this to prevent players from becoming addicted to gambling and spending more than they can afford.
Information about the activities we licence, the fees you need to pay and when. If you want to complain about a gambling business or need further help please contact us. If you are leaving the British gambling market, the Gambling Commission has expectations of licensees in these situations.
