UKGC Gambling Licence List of UKCG Licensed Casinos 2026
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.
Data from the National Gambling Treatment Service shows that a relatively small proportion of patients report participating in gaming machines in casinos. We will use the responses to this consultation as well as wider engagement with the sector to gather data to estimate the likely uptake of additional machines by casinos. Taken together, the three measures will determine the maximum number of gaming machines that casinos will be entitled to. Some of the same size requirements for Small 2005 Act casinos will apply for 1968 Act casinos, should they increase their entitlement to gaming machines to more than 20 (including one or more Category B machines). This will ensure that casinos continue to offer a variety of gaming and non-gaming activities for customers while at the same time allowing a greater number of machines to be sited on the premises. The sector views an increase to this ratio as essential in order to ensure these casinos’ long term viability by allowing them to site more gaming machines, and this conclusion was reflected in the white paper.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) have provided detailed information on each casino, including floor space and the number of existing machines. As the Gambling Commission’s advice underlines, as a minimum, operators must be able to implement age verification and customer interaction, and maintain self-exclusion effectively regardless of the number of machines they are permitted to offer. Finally player protections are in place in casinos to mitigate increased risks of gambling harms. Should separate table gaming areas of 12.5% or more only be allowed to count towards the total table gaming area for 1968 Act casinos under the new regime? Which approach do you think should be taken in relation to the maximum gambling area for 1968 Act casinos?
These respondents also suggested that increasing the availability of gaming machines will not make customers more likely to take breaks, due to the prospect of other customers taking over their machine and claiming their ‘perceived winnings’. This opposition was primarily from industry stakeholders, who argued that the other space requirements and the imposition of a machine to table ratio would ensure a balance between table gaming, machines and non-gambling space. The casino measures section of the consultation received 41 responses from a variety of stakeholders, including gambling operators and trade bodies, local government organisations, campaign groups and academics.
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 members’ clubs will not be impacted by any increases to premises licence fees.
Premises licenses are issued by non gamstop casino 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?
As part of the increase in premises fees, industry responses highlighted that they would like to see licensing authorities invest in further staff training to increase knowledge and understanding of gambling legislation, which in their view, would improve engagement. In response to the questions as to how much annual funding is needed for administration and enforcement of licences, the average amount stated by licensing authorities was £45,000. The respondents received an average of 2 premises licence applications and held an average of 44 live premises licences, per licensing authority, over the same period. By contrast, the majority of gambling operators, across all sectors (bingo, arcade, casino and betting) advocated for either no increase or a small increase of 10%. This chapter of the consultation received 40 responses, primarily from licensing authorities and gambling operators.
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We anticipate that our proposal to allow operators to increase their number of Category B machines to 50 percent will enable operators to better meet customer demand, and in turn minimise the likelihood of ‘available for use’ guidance being subverted. The Gambling Commission has expressed concern that operators currently seek to maximise Category B machine numbers by providing Category C and D games on inaccessible small tablets or via in-fill machines. For example, some options may place further emphasis on achieving commercial flexibility than achieving customer choice of higher and lower staking machines, and vice versa.
The flat additional application fee payable for a licence that combines all three of these activities is £3,140. The flat additional application fee payable for a licence that combines all three of these activities is £2,512. If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, DCMS will take reasonable steps to let you know. Any changes to this privacy policy will apply to you and your data immediately. You may also contact them to seek independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing. If you believe that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator.
Lottery licence activities
On 29 March 2007, the House of Lords urged the Government to review plans for the super casino in Manchester. On 30 January 2007 Manchester was announced as the winning bid to be the location of the first super casino. James opened several casino-cum-cabaret and fine dining establishments in the 1960s, including the Charlie Chester Casino and Golden Horseshoe in London and the Kingsway and Grand Casino in Southport. Where a licensing authority issues a provisional statement following a two-stage determination process, they may limit the period of time for which the statement has effect.
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. The outcome of that consultation is not yet known.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.
An operating licence allows you to provide gambling activities to customers in Great Britain. That said, established casinos with longer track records give some players extra reassurance. Most of the casinos in this list process the majority of withdrawals within 24 hours.
This means that the default position for them is to look to grant the application, which is in stark contrast to alcohol licensing. In considering the application, the licensing authority must “aim to permit” the application. Ultimately, the application may go to a hearing although the Act allows a new licence to be granted under delegated powers if there have been no representations. A site notice would be affixed at the premises and the application advertised in a local paper.
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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.
This legislation governs every aspect of casino operations, from game mechanics to player interactions, and non-compliance risks hefty fines or license revocation. Fees vary based on your casino’s Gross Gambling Yield (GGY). Each license ensures casino compliance with UKGC standards. The UKGC offers several licenses depending on your casino’s scope.
(Mandatory response)Significant increase / Slight increase / No impact / Slight decrease / Significant decrease / I don’t know / Not applicable Casinos that are currently permitted to offer betting may site a maximum of 40 Self-Service Betting Terminals (SSBTs). Additionally, an objective of this measure is to reduce average session duration, which is linked to gambling harm. As noted in the Gambling Commission’s remote customer interaction consultation, 54% of people in Great Britain had a monthly disposable income below £250.
- What impact is permitting sports betting expected to have on revenue from non-gambling activities e.g. increased income from sports bars which allow customers to place a bet?
- If gambling itself is causing difficulty, please see our responsible gambling page for free, confidential support.
- Popular platforms also offer games from the best providers in the industry.In this section, you’ll find new online casino sites in the UK and suggestions for live casino games from top providers.
- Apart from reviewing the activities of the licensed operators, the Commission is authorised to take regulatory actions against those licencees who breach the rules in some way.
- Helping British players find safe, regulated gambling sites.
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.
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.
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.
The consultation asked the following questions on allowing direct debit card payments on gaming machines. This will allow for targeted supportive measures to be taken for the sector, potentially including a more liberalised ratio of Category B gaming machines in these venues. The second priority is to ensure that customers receive a genuine offer of lower staking Category C and D gaming machines. As such, Option 2(a) has the added benefit of ensuring that all venues make a genuine offer of Category C and D gaming machines available to customers on device types which have genuine customer appeal.
As outlined, the Gambling Commission has expressed concern regarding the adherence of operators to ‘available for use’ guidance. The increased flexibility will provide operators with more scope to make commercial decisions relating to energy consumption and customer demand. Under the scenario outlined in Option 1, it is expected that there will be a significant increase in commercial flexibility for operators across both bingo halls and AGCs.
More information is available in the consultation response on proposals for changes to Gambling Commission fees (opens in new tab). Further information on “partially automated gaming table” can be found in The Gambling Act 2005 (Premises Licences and Provisional Statements) Regulations 2007 (opens in new tab). This is because under Section 7 of the Act, partially or wholly automated versions of casino games are still casino games. Applicants are responsible for notifying responsible authorities of applications relating to premises under Regulation 12 of the Gambling Act 2005 (premises licenses and provision statements) Regulations 2007. If the previous details are not provided, this may result in consideration of the application being delayed or even the application being rejected, although licensing authorities are reminded of good practice in seeking to remedy defects rather than rejecting applications outright.