Guidance to licensing authorities Casino premises

This involves an assessment of an applicant’s ability to comply with regulatory responsibilities, uphold the licensing objectives and work co-operatively with the Commission. This involves an assessment of an applicant’s willingness to comply with regulatory responsibilities, uphold the licensing objectives and work co-operatively with the Commission. With existing businesses the Commission will consider the resources devoted to the gambling operation and the degree to which they could deliver the necessary arrangements for the provision to be compliant with the Act. The Commission will also want to ensure that it can establish who benefits from the gambling provided and therefore require that any shareholders with a 3 percent holding are listed and that those with over 10 percent holding complete an Annex A form to enable further checks to be carried out on them.

Should the minimum table gaming area for Small 2005 Act casinos be reduced to 250sqm? To be allowed 80 machines, its non-gambling area would have to be at least 250sqm. For example, a casino could have a gambling area of 500sqm, a table gaming area of 250sqm and a non-gambling area of 230sqm. However, 2005 Act casinos are currently allowed to offer betting and we are not aware of any issues that this has created. We intend on keeping the same requirements for calculating non-gambling areas for both 2005 casinos not on gamstop Act and 1968 Act casinos.

A range of responses were given to what the maximum transaction should be for direct cashless payments. These regulations apply in different circumstances, including when a payer initiates an electronic payment transaction. The government proposes that account verification should be required on each transaction, in line with the majority of responses to these questions.

KYC helps gambling operators prevent fraud, comply with AML regulations, and avoid hefty fines. Additionally, licensing is required even if a company’s online gambling operation is located in another country—so long as they provide services to gamblers in the UK. In cases when gambling providers operate both remotely and non-remotely, they need to hold both online and land-based licenses.

The bulk of the social responsibility obligations imposed upon British gambling licensees are set out in the second part of the LCCP, as referred to above. At present, there is an acute regulatory focus in the UK on the advertising and promotion of gambling, and the industry is under considerable pressure in relation to the amount and the content of gambling advertising, particularly where there is a perceived attractiveness to children or young persons or where there is the potential for customers to be misled. For example, so-called “Novelty Bets” are permitted on non-sporting events and, as mentioned above, betting on lotteries (apart from the British National Lottery) is also permitted. These sanctions can run into millions of pounds and several high-profile operators have fallen foul of the British regulator and suffered this outcome.

Sliding scale for gaming machine entitlements

Player protections can be used to mitigate increases in the risk of gambling harm. Therefore, the risk of increased gambling harm is assumed to be higher for Options 1 and 3 than Option 2. This increase is expected to be higher under Option 1 than Option 2, as operators will not be restricted by device constraints. Data on net expenditure per session shows that from April to September 2019, the vast majority of sessions across all machine categories ended in the player either winning money or losing up to £20.

The UKGC is the body tasked with regulating gambling activities in the UK. Doing this will save you from signing up for operators that aren’t reputable. Keep limits realistic and seek support if gambling stops feeling controlled. Withdrawal times depend on the casino and payment method.

The primary cost of this measure is the additional costs incurred by gambling operators resulting from the increased licensing fees. The primary and intended benefit of this measure is to increase funding for licensing authorities to carry out administrative and enforcement duties in relation to land-based gambling premises in their remit. Scottish Ministers also have power to set application and annual fees for premises licences, which differ from the fees set out for England and Wales, and are set out in the Gambling (Premises Licence Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2007. This activity may include inspecting gambling premises to ensure that they are complying with their licence or dealing with complaints from residents or neighbours.

For example, a casino with two premises licences that meets the size and physical separation requirements could site 160 machines – more than a Large 2005 Act casino. In these instances, the parent premises may be adjoined by an ‘electric casino’ that consists largely of gaming machines with a very limited table offer. As set out in the white paper, the availability of gaming machines in British casinos is also very low compared to international jurisdictions, and an increase will help to meet the expectations of overseas visitors.

This does not prevent the licensing authority imposing conditions on such matters under section 169, subject to any mandatory conditions which the Secretary of State may prescribe under section 167. Provision of facilities for bingo may not be made in a small casino, but the Secretary of State has power to repeal this restriction by order. The regulations will determine whether the banks of terminals count as a table in their own right.

Are Sweepstakes Casinos Safe? Examining the Security of Online Gaming and Prizes

• Running a casino involves managing staff under strict UK casino employer laws.
• The UKGC implemented this to prevent players from becoming addicted to gambling and spending more than they can afford.
• All UKGC-licensed casinos must now prompt new customers to set deposit limits during the account registration process.
• The provisional decision of the licensing authority at stage one may be appealed.
• 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.

Free-to-play casino games with prizes are regulated as gaming and require a licence. The outcome of the Commission’s consultation on changes to financial key event reporting – which closed in March 2024 – is pending.Finally, in June 2025 the UK Government announced that it plans to introduce a “Voluntary Code” for prize draw operators whose offerings do not require a licence under the gambling framework because of the presence of a free entry route. In contrast with some jurisdictions, only casinos form part of the “regulated sector” for AML purposes, though all operators are required to conduct detailed risk assessments and implement AML policies, procedures and controls. Since 1 May 2025, operators have only been allowed to directly market to customers that have consented to marketing on a granular per product (i.e., casino, bingo, betting) and per channel (i.e., SMS, email) basis and, in January 2026, further rules will take effect on the offer of incentives.

New or inexperienced individuals who are not familiar with the casino industry or the law would struggle considerably to obtain these licences without proper guidance and independent legal advice. The cost of seeking the correct licences for the first time can be very high and there are ongoing fees to be paid once a gambling licence is in place. The licensing of casinos is perhaps the most complex aspect of licensing law in the UK due to the rarity of application and unique legal and technical know-how that is required. However, licences can be suspended or revoked where material is brought to the attention of the Gambling Commission or the licensing authority. Once either an operating or premises licence is in force, there is an annual fee to pay.

In England & Wales this is the local authority, whilst in Scotland this is dealt with by licensing boards. A working knowledge of this document is essential for anyone who wishes to operate a casino in the UK. Depending on the number of persons who would hold certain positions within the applicant organisation, there may be an additional requirement for them to hold their own personal licence.

While the gambling and table gaming area requirements would be enough for an entitlement of 80 machines, its non-gambling area is too small to qualify for this entitlement. We are also open to any other proposals for how table gaming areas should be calculated for 1968 Act casinos which trigger their enhanced gaming machine entitlements. We propose that the table gaming area for casinos that have less than 500sqm of gambling space must be equal to or greater than half the size of the gambling area. Option (2) would not require currently operating casinos to reduce their total gambling space.

In making this proposal we acknowledge some concerns from industry stakeholders about the necessity of a table gaming area requirement. Forty-two per cent expected a small increase in the supply and availability of other gambling products, while 41% expected either a small decrease or large decrease in the supply of other gambling products. Respondents had differing views on the impact on other gambling products. Contrastingly, respondents from local government, campaign groups and academia were more cautious about any measures which could be seen as increasing the supply of gambling opportunities, due to links between rates of gambling participation and gambling-related harm. We will work with the relevant trade bodies and operators to understand the feasibility of this proposal and the frequency of any reporting to DCMS. This includes ensuring that appropriate safeguards against gambling-related harm are in place.

If you no longer need your licence, you can surrender it, partially or in full. This is a condition of your licence under LCCP Condition 8 – Display of licensed status. When you are issued a licence, we will display the details of your licence on the register. We provide details of all businesses and individuals we licence on our Public Register service. Including information on how we carry out assessments, your responsibilities under the LCCP and other gambling-related legislation. Guidance and information for running a compliant gambling business.

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. Some respondents used this section of the consultation to further highlight their opposition to the minimum table gaming area requirement. This section of the consultation received 43 responses.

Staff learn to identify problem gambling behaviors, conduct KYC checks, and verify ages. The UKGC’s License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) mandate training on responsible gambling, AML, and customer interactions. Running a casino involves managing staff under strict UK casino employer laws. Casino advertising is tightly regulated to protect consumers, with casino advertising rules enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Robust AML casino laws safeguard the industry’s integrity. Staff must be trained to spot these signs, and operators face fines or license loss for failing to report.

A genuine UKGC logo should be clickable and lead you directly to the UKGC website, where you can view the casino’s licensing details. Coral is one of the most well-known UK-licensed casinos with a legendary reputation. The next UK licensed online casino we recommend is 21 Casino. Most importantly, by playing at UK-regulated casinos, you stay away from casino scams.

If a gambling company fails to comply with the regulations, it can face substantial fines from the Gambling Commission. Applicants are eligible to apply for the premises license only after applying or receiving an operating license. Ancillary licenses apply to operators that provide telephone and email betting.

Each license is tailored to specific business models and activities, whether online or land-based. Before applying, it is crucial to understand the different categories of gambling licenses offered by the UK Gambling Commission. The UK Gambling Commission regulates gambling under the Gambling Act 2005. But beyond legality, it signals trustworthiness and responsible gambling standards to players, investors, and other regulators. The UK remains one of the most competitive and tightly regulated gambling markets in the world.

(a)the non-gambling area may consist of one or more areas within the premises, In this Part, where premises are required to contain a non-gambling area— In this Part, in determining the floor area of the gambling area of premises, all areas in which facilities for gambling are provided on the premises must be taken into account.

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. Multi-staking category B cabinets provide customers with the choice of staking at different levels and therefore below the maximum stake permitted. However, over the longer term, some industry representatives have suggested that operators would likely further reduce their number of Category C and D cabinets in favour of multi-staking Category B cabinets. Unlike Option 1, it would be much more difficult for an operator to increase the number of B3 cabinets on their premises by increasing the number of Category C or D in-fills and tablets that they site. The equalising of these machine types may come at significant costs for some businesses.

Always check both of these numbers when choosing a casino. The payout rate is basically how much of your wagered cash you’ll get back from a casino over time. The RTP (Return to Player) and payout rate can tell you a lot about how player-friendly a casino is. UK casino guidance built around practical checks, not headline hype.