🇬🇧 United Kingdom gambling license check

Licensed market   Last verified

Flat illustration of Big Ben and the London Eye with the United Kingdom outline

United Kingdom licenses online gambling through Gambling Commission, and every real UKGC licence can be confirmed in the authority's public register. If a casino claims a United Kingdom permit, type its name or web address below and the search checks it against the UKGC register.

Check a casino against the UKGC register

Searching 2,995 casino and betting names from the UKGC register, read 2026-10-27.

Regulator
Gambling Commission · UKGC
Official register
Public licensee register
Machine readable
Yes, bulk data is published
Regime
Licensed market

How to verify a United Kingdom license

  1. Open the business register on the Gambling Commission site
  2. Search by the casino's domain name first. If no hit, search the operating company name or account number shown in the site footer
  3. Check the licence status is current, not surrendered, revoked or suspended, and that the register entry lists remote casino or betting activities
  4. Confirm the exact domain appears in the register entry's domain names list, noting domains are self-declared by the operator
  5. Review the entry's regulatory actions section for recent sanctions before trusting the brand

License types in United Kingdom

An operating licence is required to provide most gambling facilities in Great Britain, split by sector and by remote or non-remote delivery, with separate personal licences for key managers.

  • Remote casino operating licence
  • Remote betting operating licence, covering general, pool and intermediary betting
  • Remote bingo operating licence
  • Lottery operating licence
  • Gambling software operating licence
  • Non-remote equivalents of each sector
  • Personal Management Licence and Personal Functional Licence for key staff

Key facts about the UKGC regime

  • The public register listed 2,634 gambling business records on 23 October 2026
  • Operating licences are indefinite in duration but require payment of annual fees to remain valid
  • A statutory levy applies from 6 April 2025 at 1.1% of gross gambling yield for online operators and software licensees, 0.1 to 0.5% for land-based sectors
  • Application and annual fees vary by sector and gross gambling yield band. The Commission publishes a fee calculator
  • The register records licence status, trading names, domain names and regulatory actions taken against each business

What the license means for players

A UKGC licence means the operator is bound by the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, including age verification, safer-gambling tools, and disclosure of how customer funds are protected in insolvency. Operators must finish their own complaints process within eight weeks, after which players with unresolved complaints must be offered a free approved ADR provider such as IBAS or eCOGRA. Protections apply to customers in Great Britain, and the Commission does not handle individual compensation claims itself.

Red flags and fake UKGC claims

  • Domain is absent from any register entry despite a claimed UK licence
  • Footer shows a Gambling Commission logo or account number that returns no result, or a surrendered or revoked status, when searched
  • Site accepts GB players but names a different jurisdiction's licence with no UKGC entry at all
  • Licence claim cites a person or shell company whose register entry covers different activities, for example software only rather than remote casino

Legal status and tax

Online gambling is legal and regulated under the Gambling Act 2005, with remote operators serving Great Britain required to hold a UKGC licence since 1 November 2014. Reforms from the 2023 white paper are now in force, including the statutory levy under the Gambling Levy Regulations 2025 from 6 April 2025 and online slots stake limits of GBP 5 per game cycle from 9 April 2025 and GBP 2 for adults aged 18 to 24 from 21 May 2025. The Finance Act 2026 raised remote gaming duty to 40% from 1 April 2026 and adds a 25% rate for remote betting from 1 April 2027.

Remote gaming duty on operator profits from UK players rose from 21% to 40% for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2026. From 1 April 2027 a 25% rate of general betting duty applies to remote bets, replacing the 15% rate for online bets, while bets on UK horse racing, spread bets, pool bets and bets at self-service terminals stay outside the new rate. Bingo duty was abolished from 1 April 2026, and operators also pay the statutory levy of up to 1.1% of gross gambling yield.

Frequently asked questions

Who regulates online gambling in United Kingdom?

Gambling Commission, usually shortened to UKGC, oversees gambling in United Kingdom. An operating licence is required to provide most gambling facilities in Great Britain, split by sector and by remote or non-remote delivery, with separate personal licences for key managers.

How do I check if a casino holds a United Kingdom license?

Type the casino name or its web address into the search on this page, which reads the UKGC register every day. A real licensee appears there under its own name. Search by business name, trading name, domain name or account number, or browse and filter the full register. The complete dataset is downloadable in Excel, CSV and ZIP formats.

What does a UKGC license mean for players?

A UKGC licence means the operator is bound by the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, including age verification, safer-gambling tools, and disclosure of how customer funds are protected in insolvency. Operators must finish their own complaints process within eight weeks, after which players with unresolved complaints must be offered a free approved ADR provider such as IBAS or eCOGRA. Protections apply to customers in Great Britain, and the Commission does not handle individual compensation claims itself.

How do I spot a fake United Kingdom license claim?

Domain is absent from any register entry despite a claimed UK licence Footer shows a Gambling Commission logo or account number that returns no result, or a surrendered or revoked status, when searched Site accepts GB players but names a different jurisdiction's licence with no UKGC entry at all Licence claim cites a person or shell company whose register entry covers different activities, for example software only rather than remote casino

Sources

Not sure how registers work in general? Read our guide to checking if an online casino is licensed or browse every jurisdiction we cover.