Gambling software licence activities

Remote casino game host operating licence

In addition, the applicant should prove their right to occupy the premises. Applicants are eligible to apply for the premises license only after applying or receiving an operating license. The exact cost can be calculated by using the Gambling Commission’s online calculator. If the applicant is granted a license, they need to pay their first annual fee within 30 days after being licensed. The Gambling Commission issues operating and personal licenses, while local authorities issue premises licenses. These operators must obtain a license from the Gambling Commission to legally offer their services to UK residents.

We are often engaged in dealing with prosecutions for breach of licensing conditions and are also known for our work in reviews and in particularly contentious applications. As a full-service law firm, we offer licensing work as part of a service with other departments and disciplines such as commercial property or insolvency. Our team combines expertise in both licensing and business regulation. We offer a full-service licence application product in which we draft, collate and submit full applications.

Licensed casinos offer a wide range of games from reputable suppliers, and the regulations weed out less reputable providers. UK casinos are required to offer various tools and resources to promote responsible gambling. These casinos must follow strict regulations regarding player security, from financial information to the fairness of games. The gambling authority upholds some of the strictest standards in the world, from the quality of UK casinos to player protection. While UK-regulated casinos have strict regulations, the range of games they can offer is extensive. This makes sure that new online casinos in the UK generally maintain high standards.

• Unlicensed FECs are entitled to make only Category D machines available, once they have successfully applied for a permit from the licensing authority (local authority in England and Wales, licensing board in Scotland).
• By checking license details and only playing at trusted sites, such as those we recommend, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing the casino is properly regulated and your rights as a player are protected at all times.
• Licensing authority responses were predominantly in favour of Option 2, though a number restated their original position that the current 80/20 ratio should not be changed in the liberalising manner proposed.
• Safety is the biggest factor for us, as licensed casinos are required to comply with the UKGC’s regulations.

Gambling software licence activities

An “economic crime levy” is payable by entities that are regulated for anti-money laundering purposes (currently only casinos in the UK) and which generate more than £10.2 million in UK revenue. It should be noted that in April 2025 HM Treasury opened a consultation (which closed on 21 July 2025) on a proposal to introduce a single remote gambling duty that would apply to all remote gambling activities targeting the UK. 15% of the commission charges charged by betting exchanges to users who are UK citizens Operating licences are generally indefinite, subject to paying annual fees. 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.

(a)the size of floor area of the gambling area is not increased, and (2) The floor area of the gambling area must be less than 1,500m². (4) Any separate area that comprises less than 12.5 per cent of the minimum required table gaming area is not to be taken into account in determining the table gaming area. (a)half the size of the floor area of the gambling area, (c)facilities for gambling must not be provided in the non-gambling area, and

Do you think premises should adopt voluntary test purchasing as a way to monitor under-18s activity casino not on gamstop 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.

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.

Examples – Operating Licence

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.

The sliding scale will also ensure that there remains a link between gambling space and betting terminals so that the electronic offering in a casino does not overwhelm the live table offering. Respondents in favour of sports betting pointed to evidence of casino customers placing sports bets via mobile devices while in casinos, with casinos being an environment in which people habitually watch sport. It was also suggested that customers who do not normally engage in sports betting online may be encouraged to do so via availability in a casino. Those opposed to sports betting in casinos suggested that a broader range of products makes it easier for gamblers to move from activity to activity, upscaling losses and potential harms. An identical proportion of respondents thought sports betting should be permitted as shouldn’t be permitted in land-based casinos, with a small number selecting ‘I don’t know’. This is viewed as a more proportionate table gaming area compared to other floor space requirements, and will ensure parity with 1968 Act casinos.

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.

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”.

More information is available in the consultation response on proposals for changes to Gambling Commission fees (opens in new tab). By checking license details and only playing at trusted sites, such as those we recommend, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing the casino is properly regulated and your rights as a player are protected at all times. The UK Gambling Commission demands extremely high standards of fairness, responsible gaming measures, and player protection. We suggest that you choose from our list here at TopRatedBingoSites, as we are careful to only recommend sites that are properly regulated and compliant with all UK gambling laws. Clicking this link should take you directly to the casino’s profile on the UKGC Official Register, where you can verify the license number, trading names, and any conditions or sanctions in place.

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.

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.

If a casino does not appear on the Gambling Commission public register under the domain you used, the plain meaning is that it is not licensed to offer gambling to people in Great Britain. If the casino is licensed in Great Britain, the brand and its domain will appear against a licensed company, with a licence status shown. The Gambling Commission keeps a public register of every licensed gambling business at gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-register. Conditions may, in particular, limit the number of machines that may be provided in a casino and the number of player positions that may be provided for use of the machines. Such equipment, which neither involves nor is linked to a game requiring human operation, is not a gaming machine provided it is used in accordance with Commission licence conditions set under this subsection (section 235(2)(i)). 450.In relation to casino entitlements, the Secretary of State can make regulations defining “gaming table”, and, in particular may specify when a gaming table is to be treated as being used in a casino.

The government will consider the need for bespoke dedicated safe play messaging as part of cashless gambling on gaming machines. As mentioned above, the existing regulations prohibit the use of debit cards for direct payments to gaming machines, and prohibit any use of credit cards. The introduction of direct forms of cashless payments on gaming machines, subject to suitable safeguards, therefore represents an opportunity to future-proof the land-based gambling industry. The lack of direct cashless payment methods on gaming machines contrasts with the cashless options that consumers have within the wider retail economy.

Small 2005 Act casinos will also experience a reduction in their required minimum table gaming area, from 500sqm to 250sqm. Despite respondents indicating a preference for venues to be made to reduce their gambling area, we think this is a fair exemption for the small number of casinos that it will apply to. The exemption for these casinos will apply from 16 May 2024 (the date on which the consultation response was published) and take account of any already submitted expansion plans. With regard to casinos that currently operate with a gambling area of 1500sqm or more, these casinos will be permitted to remain open with their current gambling area. When asked about the reduction in minimum table gaming area in Small 2005 Act casinos from 500sqm to 250sqm, more respondents were in favour of this being applied than opposed. A fairly even number of respondents were for and against the 12.5% rule applying for 1968 Act casinos, whereby any table gaming area would only count towards the minimum table gaming area if it constitutes 12.5% or more of the total table gaming area in the venue.

We believe it is appropriate to increase these fees so that local authorities can cover the costs of their gambling licensing and enforcement activity, and increase activity where needed. They are therefore essential for ensuring that licensing authorities can properly regulate gambling in their areas. Note that the different fees currently charged for large and small casinos may be subject to review and harmonisation following the consultation outlined in Chapter 1. Therefore, venues such as pubs and members’ clubs will not be impacted by any increases to premises licence fees. The fees payable for gaming machine notifications and gaming machine permits are not in scope of this review.

There were 39 responses to this section of the consultation. This would mean any table gaming area would only count towards the minimum table gaming area if it constitutes 12.5% or more of the total table gaming area in the venue. Exempt venues will be prevented from increasing their gambling area further, from 16 May 2024. Those opposed to the reduction preferred a larger minimum table gaming area requirement in place such as 350sqm.

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.