Guidance to licensing authorities
Industry has raised some concerns about how areas like bars would be categorised if sports betting terminals were placed in them. If its gambling area is 500sqm or more, its non-gambling area must be equal to or greater than 250sqm. It could also mean that the same gambling facilities are compressed into a smaller gambling area, with potentially a worse customer experience and no player protection benefits.
455.Subsection (6) allows the Secretary of State to make regulations that impose mandatory conditions on casino premises licences in relation to equipment used for playing automated games of chance. Large and regional casino premises licences also authorise the provision of facilities for bingo, again, provided there is a valid bingo operating licence held by the person providing the activity. 454.A casino premises licence will also authorise the provision of facilities for betting, where the licensee or a person authorised in writing by the licensee holds a relevant betting operating licence. 453.Casino premises licences will be available for โsmallโ, โlargeโ and โregionalโ casinos and will authorise the playing of casino games and equal chance games on the premises. 423.Under this section, licensing authorities must maintain a register of premises licences they have granted in their area, together with such other information as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary of State. 5.โ(1)โฏThe condition specified in this regulation is attached to each remote casino operating licence, including remote casino operating licences issued before this regulation comes into force.
Consultation aims
Opening a casino in the UK is a venture steeped in opportunity but bound by stringent regulations. Information for existing or prospective gambling businesses including what types of licence you may need, how much they cost and the licence conditions and codes of practice that apply to your licence. Therefore, venues such as pubs and membersโ clubs will not be impacted by any increases to premises licence fees.
Things to Check Before You Sign Up at Any UK Online Casino
The comprehensive directory of gambling operators licensed by the Gambling Commission of Great Britain. (2)ย A notice must be displayed in a prominent place in each part of the premises used for providing facilities for betting, setting out the terms on which persons are invited to bet on the premises. 4.โ(1)ย This paragraph applies to larger converted casino premises and extended converted casino premises. (6)ย The premises must contain a non-gambling area, the floor area of which is no less than the lesser ofโ
The Committee of Advertising Practice, which is responsible for penning advertising codes in the UK, announced new rules aimed at protecting children under the age of 18 from content promoting gambling. By 2013, the UK media regulator Ofcom reported that this approach had led to a seven-fold increase in the number of gambling ads that were aired on the TV. The industry recruits staff to target VIPs and get them to spend more, to contact VIPs who have not gambled for some time and get them to restart gambling, to identify less serious gamblers who could become VIPs and get them to gamble more. In July 2026, the UK changed how gambling penalties would be collected and allocated. The betting industry alone is reported to contribute ยฃ6 billion as of January 2010, 0.5% of GDP. Publicans must also be vigilant in ensuring that their customers do not pass betting slips between each other but only bet for themselves.
Responses from industry advocated for either no increase in the maximum chargeable premises fees or a small increase of 10%. A key stated benefit was the ability to undertake more proactive engagement and enforcement activities with licensed premises. Licensing authorities highlighted numerous benefits which would be achieved by increasing the maximum chargeable premises fees by 30%. However, a number of these responses stated that this would still be below the amount necessary to undertake their duties to the fullest extent. The majority of licensing authorities advocated for a 30% increase.
In order to obtain a casino premises licence, you must first be the holder of a casino operating licence. There is a high-level cap on the number of casino licences available throughout the UK, which is set down in regulations under the Gambling Act 2005. A casino operating licence allows the holder to provide casino gambling facilities. Some of these conditions apply to casino licences only, but some apply to all types of operating licence. Nigel Farage has made a safe gambling message for online-casinos.co.uk players. New casino premises licences issued under the Act will fall into one of two categories namely large casino premises licence or small casino premises licence.
- Sports gambling is advertised on television at times when children and young people are watching.
- Offences cover the unlicensed offer of gambling, the unlicensed use of premises for gambling, the promotion or facilitation of a lottery and so on.
- A statutory levy is now applied to all licensed operators to fund gambling research, education, and treatment services.
- Measures that we are seeking views on are intended to address inconsistencies between the different types of casino licence, as well as levelling the playing field to an extent between land-based and online operators.
What player protections could be adopted in casinos for those customers participating in sports betting? If you are a casino licence operator, what impact is permitting sports betting expected to have on the Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) of your casino(s)? Should all 1968 Act casinos be permitted to offer sports betting, regardless of size? Therefore, 1968 Act casinos are losing out on potential revenue that might otherwise have been generated if they were allowed to offer sports betting services. Consumers (particularly international tourists) still bet on sporting events via mobile devices while in casinos, irrespective of whether sports betting is permitted or not.
Extended converted casino premises are also a new category of premises which applies to those premises which take up their increased gaming machine allowance. Applications for operating licences must be submitted through the Gambling Commission’s online licensing system. The Commission works alongside local licensing authorities, which are responsible for issuing premises licences for land-based gambling venues. Established under the Gambling Act 2005, the Commission oversees all commercial gambling in Great Britain โ from high-street betting shops and land-based casinos to online slots, poker rooms, and sports betting exchanges. You can apply to us for a licence to provide casino games in a premises (non-remote) or online (remote). We issue operating licences and personal licences; premises licences are issued by local licensing authorities.
Such casinos may operate as card clubs without offering casino games. Most of these casinos fall below the size thresholds of the other two categories. Remote external lottery manager operating licence Remote bingo game host operating licence Remote betting intermediary trading rooms licence Remote betting host virtual events licence
However, we recommend that Northern Ireland residents still use UKGC licensed operators as they offer the highest level of consumer protection available. Northern Ireland has its own separate gambling legislation and is not covered by the Gambling Act 2005. If you believe an operator has breached licence conditions, you may also report concerns directly to the Gambling Commission. We strongly advise using only UKGC licensed operators. It is legal for UK residents to gamble on sites not licensed by the UKGC, however such operators are prohibited from actively targeting or advertising to UK customers.
In the 2024โ25 reporting year, 156 new operating licence applications were submitted and 75% were processed within 16 weeks. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regulates gambling advertising, though LCCP breaches by licence holders are enforced by the Commission itself. The most recent significant RTS update came into effect on 17 January 2025, extending requirements previously applicable only to slots to a wider range of online casino products.
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 do not currently have sufficient 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. 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.
In considering operating licence applications the Commission will include assessment of the suitability non gamstop casinos of those persons considered relevant to the application. Personal licences are required by those performing a specified management or operational function. Further guidance as to the types of operation or activity that might be exempt from requiring an operating licence can be found on our website. This chapter sets out the Commissionโs approach to considering operating and personal licence applications, the kinds of evidence considered when assessing an application, and the process for assessing applications and notifying the outcome. To fully comply with this provision, operators are required to refrain from placing ads that promote betting on websites that target children. Under the new rules, financial penalties paid by British gambling operators would be paid directly to the government’s accounts, rather than being directed to charities and research bodies.
This was reflected by licensing authority responses in regards to how much the maximum premises fee should be raised by. The majority of respondents agreed that premises should adopt voluntary test purchasing as a way to monitor under-18s activity on โcash-outโ Category D slot-style machines. In relation to measures that venues should adopt to ensure no under-18s play on these types of machines, responses included additional staff checks on customers, staff training and placing machines in visible areas near cash desks or prize bars. Our proposal to introduce an age limit on these machines is a precautionary measure to protect children and young people from gambling-related harm.
Under strict regulations from the authority, online casinos are bound to offer you fair outcomes on every spin or hand.Legal UK casinos also offer you better safety and security. Though offshore casinos arenโt explicitly illegal, they must have a licence from the Gambling Commission to accept players from the UK.Youโll also find complaints online about fixed or rigged games on casino sites. With hundreds of online casinos operating in the UK, it can be tricky to find one that suits your preferences. Our mission is to provide a comprehensive overview of the gambling industry and online casinos in the UK, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their level of experience, can access invaluable insights.
The UKGC gambling licence is seen as one of the most credible and strictest licences within the industry, with the proactive organisation responsible for providing licences to online casinos that only operate responsibly. The Act differentiates types of casino premises by size; regional casinos, large casinos, small casinos, and then a special class known as converted casinos, which relates to licences which were converted from the old gaming laws. The 2005 Act created what might shortly be termed a three-tier system of licensing for gambling; operating licences, premises licence and personal licences. In Scotland the licensing boards are licensing authorities and continue to have responsibilities for granting permissions for casinos in the form of premises licences.
Currently, the Gambling Act 2005 (Gaming Tables in Casinos) (Definitions) Regulations 2009 provide that a wholly automated gaming table is not a โgaming tableโ for the purposes of s172(3) to (5) of the Act. Thirty-nine responses were received to these questions in the consultation. However, in updating the regulatory framework we intend to ensure that if the preferred setup of a casino changes in future, an appropriate balance of product remains – both in terms of space and product numbers.
An online casino is a digital platform that lets you play casino games โ such as slots, blackjack, roulette, and live dealer games โ via a website or mobile app. Finding a trustworthy online casino in the UK has never been more competitive โ there are hundreds of licensed sites to choose from, and not all of them are worth your time or money. With our help, you can find new casinos, bonuses and offers, and learn about games, slots, and payment methods.
We received detailed evidence through the consultation process outlining the impacts which increased fees would have on both the ability of licensing authorities to undertake their duties, and the commercial pressures placed on operators. These fees are used on a cost recovery basis to enable licensing authorities to undertake their gambling enforcement and administrative duties. To ensure this, we outlined in the white paper our intention to increase the cap on the maximum chargeable premises fees which can be charged by licensing authorities. The government will make inviting, causing, or permitting under-18s to play โcash-outโ Category D slot-style machines a criminal offence through a draft affirmative statutory instrument. Bacta currently operates a voluntary age restriction on these machines for all of its members. We believe it is appropriate to make inviting, causing, or permitting under-18s to play โcash-outโ Category D slot-style machines a criminal offence.
The most important factor is a valid UK Gambling Commission licence, which you can verify on the UKGC website. Most operators allow you to browse the lobby without creating an account, which gives you a sense of how the interface performs. Mobile-optimised websites accessed through a browser are the more common approach among newer operators. Knowing what to look for protects both your money and your personal data. Signing up at a UKGC-licensed casino is a straightforward process.
