How to Check a UKGC Licensed Casino in 2026
413.The general position for premises licensing is that premises may only be subject to one premises licence at a time. 410.Under Part 1 of the Act, the Secretary of State will make regulations defining classes of casinos. A provisional statement may be obtained from a licensing authority, in advance of a premises licence, where premises are to be constructed or altered, or where someone has yet to acquire the right to occupy premises. 405.Premises licences, unlike operating licences, are transferable between occupiers (who hold operating licences), on application to the licensing authority. 404.Applicants for premises licences are required to hold a relevant operating licence before being granted a premises licence under this Part, except in the case of tracks, where an operating licence need not be held in all cases.
However, the way that British legislation addresses gambling is to set up a whole series of criminal offences and then provide that the possession of the appropriate licence is a defence. Are there any specific licensing or operational requirements for operators accepting digital currencies (including cryptocurrencies)? Multi-operator self-exclusion schemes are in place to allow consumers to self-exclude from multiple gambling premises in Great Britain. Since 28 February 2025, remote operators have been required to undertake financial vulnerability checks once a customer’s net spend exceeds £150 in a rolling 30-day period.Operators are expected to have in place measures to detect self-excluded persons who might wish to re-register using different details.
There are currently only three Small 2005 Act casinos in operation from the eight licences available. This requirement was intended to ensure a balanced offer of gaming products in 2005 Act casinos, which had a significantly higher gaming machine entitlement than 1968 Act casinos. The government is proposing to operate two regimes for 1968 Act casinos whereby they can either operate under the existing rules with no increase to their gaming machine allowance or they can take up their new gaming machine entitlements under the new rules. Casinos with multiple licences at the same physical location could site more than 80 machines under the new regime – it is not clear whether the current rules are clear enough to prevent this situation from arising in practice. The implications for operating and premises licence fees, bringing 1968 Act casinos in line with existing fee scales for 2005 Act casinos, are also discussed later in this chapter. It is our intention that these casinos can continue to operate under the existing regime, whereby they are permitted no more than 20 machines where at least one is of Category B (or they may elect to have any number of Category C or D machines instead).
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.
For example, a person leaving a gaming machine to go to an ATM will be required to enter their PIN. It was also raised that these machines can be converted to adapt a card reader for contactless payment, but adding a chip and pin device for every transaction in most cases would either not be technically feasible or cost effective. Respondents from the pub sector also raised issues with verification for each transaction on Category D crane grab machines.
Notifications relating to premises licence must be sent, by email, to We use the data provided to maintain a register of premises licences, which we use to inform our compliance and enforcement work, and to monitor the licensing of premises nationally. A premises licences is a licence, issued by a local licencing authority, that authorises gambling to take place in that premises. Separately, the Gambling Commission confirmed in our online games design response in 2021 and our remote gambling and software technical standards (RTS) that for remote slots it must be a minimum of 2.5 seconds from the time a game is started until the next game cycle can be commenced (RTS 14D).
The Act gives the UKGC broad powers to oversee license applications, enforce compliance, and punish operators who break the rules. These regulations determine how sites operate, how they market to you, and how they handle your data and money. Only a UKGC license meets the strict casino regulation standards required in the United Kingdom. Even if a site holds a casino license from another country, such as Curaçao or Malta, that license does not make it legal for UK players.
Licensed operators must keep player funds separate from operating money and disclose the level of protection, so your balance is safeguarded. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is the independent regulator for gambling in Great Britain, set up under the Gambling Act 2005. This guide explains exactly what a UKGC licence means, how to verify one in under a minute, and how to spot a site that doesn’t have one.
Therefore, we would welcome any responses which highlight concerns about this approach and how non-gambling areas could be calculated using a different method. However, we want to avoid any regulation that would allow table gaming areas to be placed in obscure or less accessible areas for customers so that a genuinely mixed offering of products remains in the casino. We appreciate that for commercial reasons and for a better customer experience, tables are already grouped together in casinos, often in one large area.
The Commission licenses and regulates commercial gambling operators and ensures gambling is conducted fairly, openly and free from crime. 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. Find the licensed operator behind any UK gambling website or platform.
The majority of responses stated that there should be the ability for customers to set voluntary limits on gaming machines accepting direct cashless payments. The vast majority of responses to the consultation agreed that card account verification should be required if direct debit card payments are permitted on gaming machines. We propose to align the lifting of the prohibition on direct debit card payments on gaming machines and the introduction of player protections within regulations with the Gambling Commission’s review of the Gaming Machine Technical Standards.
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 plain, step-by-step way to confirm whether a casino is licensed in Great Britain, using the UK Gambling Commission public register and a sceptical read of the footer. The Secretary of State will, by order, determine the locations of the new casinos after consulting Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Assembly. casinos not on gamstop 457.This section sets an initial limit of 1 regional casino, and 8 small and 8 large casinos.
Chapter 5 ‘Review of licensing authority fees’ outlines proposed changes to premises licence fees for Small 2005 Act casinos, which 1968 Act casinos that elect to move onto the new regime will also be subject to. In order to include SSBTs as part of a sportsbook offering, casinos would be required to apply for a remote general betting standard real events licence. As referenced in our response to the ‘Gaming machine allowance for 1968 Act casinos’ section, we acknowledge concerns from stakeholders about the necessity of a table gaming area requirement given the sliding scale includes a specified number of tables.
- Here you will find all UKGC licensed online casinos currently available in the UK.
- Safe online casinos in the UK always display licensing info in the site’s footer.
- The public register allows you to see what type of activities gambling businesses can offer, and if we have ever taken any regulatory action against them.
- The number of additional machines that a 1968 Act casino will be entitled to will be determined by the size of all three different areas that have been outlined above – the total gambling area, the table gaming area and the total non-gambling area.
- The reason provided for this preference is that Options 2(a) and 2(b) would provide greater commercial flexibility over the long-term – with Option 2(b) providing the greater flexibility of the 2 options.
The authority licenses operators that meet strict requirements related to player protection, responsible gaming, data security, and financial conduct. While a Curaçao license still does not permit legal access to UK players, it is a popular option for international operators looking for broad market coverage and crypto-friendly conditions. The new body was brought in to try to raise the standards of gambling operators in the jurisdiction and to try to rehabilitate the authority’s international reputation. The CGA can issue two main types of licenses, B2B for service providers and B2C for operators offering gambling directly to players. The Commission runs a structured complaints process for players who experience issues with AGCC-licensed operators, and it remains one of the more respected non-UK regulators in the industry. Established in 2000, the AGCC regulates online gambling for companies that have part of their operations based in Alderney but serve international markets.
In arcade premises, 2.3% of Category B gaming machine sessions result in losses of £200 or more, compared to 2% of combined Category C, Category D and mixed sessions. In bingo premises, 1.6% of Category B gaming machine sessions result in losses of £200 or more, compared to 0.7% of combined Category C, Category D and mixed sessions. Responses from both the arcade and bingo sector show that Category B machines generate higher GGY on average than Category C and D machines, though responses indicated that the levels of GGY were higher in the arcade sector. This was consistent across bingo club operators, arcade operators and gaming machine manufacturers.
When you choose a licensed casino, you know that its fairness is verified by both the UKGC and independent gambling testers. We dig deeper into this subject on our safest online casinos page. Here you can find licensed casinos that are safe for British players.
Casinos would not have the option of reverting back to their legacy rights under the existing regime, once they decide to increase their machine allowance in this way. As at present, a 1968 Act casino with a gambling area of at least 200sqm would also need to provide a non-gambling area equivalent to at least 10% of its total gambling area. This relates to ensuring that casinos which share the same building, or adjoin or are adjacent to another casino, are wholly distinct and separate from one another.
Timeline of Changes
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.
Overall, they would either prefer the current contactless payment restrictions to apply for debit card payments on machines or for chip and pin to only be required at the beginning of any session. While this option does not provide as great an increase in commercial flexibility as Option 3, Option 2(b) and, potentially for some operators, Option 1, the evidence received suggests that the vast majority of operators would benefit under this option. This option balances our 2 key priorities, the first being to support arcade and bingo premises through increased commercial flexibility within the context of many businesses operating at a loss post-COVID-19.
The UKGC licensing framework is one of the most robust in the world, and every item in the table above represents a real legal protection you receive when you play at a licensed site. Once you know how to check if a UK casino is UKGC licensed, you can use this comparison to understand exactly why licensed sites are the only safe choice for UK players. UK players should also be aware of casino affordability checks UK operators must conduct under 2026 rules. The UKGC issues different licence types for different gambling activities. For more on these protections, read our guide to UK casino regulations 2026.
The flat additional annual fee payable for a licence that combines all three activities is £12,500. The flat additional annual fee payable for a licence that combines all three activities is £10,000. After this, fees are due every year before the anniversary of the day your licence was issued. Your first annual fee is due 30 days after your licence is issued and is reduced by 25 percent (ancillary and linked licence annual fees are not subject to this reduction). The flat additional application fee payable for a licence that combines all three activities is £4,200.
Surrendering your licence, partial surrender and leaving the GB market
In line with our approach to voluntary limit setting, we do not propose that Category D machines will be required to have mandatory limits for time and monetary thresholds. We would also like machines that use the BGC’s Anonymous Player Awareness System (APAS) to implement these limits and for APAS not to act as a substitute for these thresholds. Furthermore, the average stake size on B1 machines is similar to the stake size on B3 machines and therefore we do not think that the mandatory limits should be different between the different categories. While we understand the different environments and the higher stakes and prizes available to customers on B1 machines, data received from industry shows that these limits should not impact the majority of players. The proposed thresholds differ from the current industry standard in casinos where it is £250 deposited and 60 minutes of play. We think that the starting point for these thresholds should be deposits of £150 and 20 minutes of play across all machines but understand that further evidence may arise during its consultation.
These laws ensure proper protection measures and responsible gambling practices from the operator’s part. These operators employ player protection measures like SSL encryption, secure payment portals, firewalls, and two-factor authentication to keep you and your data safe. By signing up on sites licensed by the UKGC, you can rest knowing that the games won’t be rigged. For instance, QuickBet, Funky Jackpot, and HotWins Casino will offer you top-notch mobile casino experience in the UK. Every casino operator optimises their sites for both desktop and mobile devices. With several debit card and e-wallet options available, your withdrawals will reach your account within a few hours after processing.
Only tables for multi-player live gaming, operated by a casino dealer, will qualify for the purposes of this ratio. We do not intend on making any changes to when a gaming table will be treated as being ‘used’ for the purposes of the machine to table ratio as set out in the current Regulations. If you are an operator with more than one premises licence at the same location, do you intend to take up these new entitlements for each licence? Shown if Yes is selected Do you intend to site the maximum number of machines available to you? If you selected ‘No’, please provide an alternative proposal for gaming machine entitlements if you have one.