Government response to measures relating to the land-based gambling sector
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.
These organisations offer free, confidential support for anyone affected by gambling. Search by company name or licence number While not yet mandatory, most major operators are complying voluntarily. License holders can be fined, have conditions imposed, or lose their licence entirely for violations.
Non-verifiable licence details
Such a resolution must be published as part of the authority’s licensing policy statement made under Part 18, and lasts for 3 years from the date it takes effect. The licensing authority may take into account any principle or matter in making its decision, and may pass a resolution giving effect to their decision at any time. This decision is to be taken by the licensing authority as a whole, and may not be delegated to the licensing committee under sections 154 and 155. Where the licensing authority grants an application, a person who made representations may appeal.
(a)the size of floor area of the gambling area is not increased, and (2) The floor area of the gambling area must be less than 1,500m². (4) Any separate area that comprises less than 12.5 per cent of the minimum required table gaming area is not to be taken into account in determining the table gaming area. (a)half the size of the floor area of the gambling area, (c)facilities for gambling must not be provided in the non-gambling area, and
This would require a premises licence variation application to the relevant licensing authority given the changes to the gambling and non-gambling areas. This guidance provides information on the overall intent of the statutory instruments, what the changes mean for operators of non gamstop casino casino premises that intend to make use of the regulatory changes and how this process should be administered by licensing authorities when applications are received. Other converted casino premises where the gambling area is less than 280m² will be limited to a maximum of 16 separate betting positions. It cannot be enforced against non-extended casinos, but when calculating the number of machines against the maximum of 80, all machines in every connected converted casino will be counted, whether or not they have decided to exercise the extended entitlement. You can even get started right now if you wish, as this page contains links to some of the best and licensedonline casinos that you can use in the UK.
Multiple licences
Wiggin serves as the leading advisor to the global gambling industry’s top players, setting itself apart by understanding both national and international laws and regulations like no other firm. He is a commercial and regulatory lawyer and specialises in all aspects of online and land-based gambling. It is also worth noting that, in recent months, the Gambling Commission issued an “Industry Warning Notice” to those B2B operators that it has licensed after observing that certain games developed by such licensees appear accessible to British consumers on B2C websites that are not licensed by the Commission. More generally, the Commission is known to issue cease and desist letters, carry out test purchasing, take steps to disrupt payment flows and engaging with search engines to prevent URLs belonging to unlicensed operators appearing in search results.
These options supplanted their stated preference for Option 1 in the original consultation. The majority of responses received came from respondents within the bingo and arcade sectors. Do you have any additional insights or evidence relating to recent trends in GGY, profit and costs for bingo and AGC operators? The 2 additional options consulted were Option 2(a) and Option 2(b).
Such permission may come from a licence, permit, or registration granted in accordance with the Act or from an exemption given by the Act. The primary legislation governing gambling in Great Britain is the Gambling Act 2005 (opens in new tab). 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. There is no right of appeal against the grant or refusal at stage two although an applicant may seek judicial review of a licensing authority’s decision. Until any appeal has been determined, the licensing authority may not proceed to stage two. The provisional decision of the licensing authority at stage one may be appealed.
- 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.
- The legislative changes also introduced changes to gaming machine entitlements for converted casino premises.
- This will ensure that Category C and D machines made available by operators have genuine customer appeal and/or are genuinely available for use, as opposed to being used as a means to increase the number of Category B cabinets a venue can site.
- Evidence pointed to customer demand – 88% of casino customers at a major casino chain are currently betting on sports online at least once a month, including on mobile devices while in casinos.
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. It should be noted that in April 2025 HM Treasury opened a consultation (which closed on 21 July 2025) on a proposal to introduce a single remote gambling duty that would apply to all remote gambling activities targeting the UK. 15% of the commission charges charged by betting exchanges to users who are UK citizens Operating licences are generally indefinite, subject to paying annual fees. Eligibility for a British gambling licence depends upon the Gambling Commission’s assessment of a variety of factors, primarily the integrity and probity of the applicant and the applicant’s ability to conduct gambling in a solvent and responsible manner in compliance with law and regulation.
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, if a casino had 300sqm of gambling space, its non-gambling area would need to be at least 150sqm. We are mindful of ensuring fairness between 1968 Act and 2005 Act casinos but also to those casinos that are currently operating. Option (3) would not impact any 1968 Act casinos and would give these casinos greater flexibility in the layout of their venues. We are unable to easily increase the maximum size of Small 2005 Act casinos as the legislation requires that Small and Large casinos are classified distinctly, so an overlap between the two categories would be problematic. However, as outlined in our proposals below, there are some difficulties in mirroring the exact restrictions that apply to Small 2005 Act casinos for 1968 Act casinos.
Licensed gambling premises
The responses received from the third sector also raised concerns about the potential for increased gambling-related harm to occur alongside greater numbers of Category B machines being made available. We received a number of responses from large UK arcade operators who provided projections on how their gaming machine offer would change under Option 2(a) and 2(b) by comparison to the current situation. Evidence provided for Option 1 suggests that increases in Category B cabinet gaming machines would be moderate in the short-term. The second objective is to ensure that customers are presented with a genuine offer of lower staking Category C and D gaming machines.
Itregulates various forms of gambling, including online gambling, sports betting, casino gaming, lotteries, and others. Many online casinos have multiple licences. While we only ever recommend online casinos that adhere to UKGC regulations on our site, there are a few things you can do yourself to verify a brand’s licence and to keep yourself safe. To keep yourself safe and to keep your gaming experience enjoyable, we recommend that you only sign up and play at duly licensed online casinos. Fees for non-remote Casino 2005 Act operating licences have been based on annual gross gambling yield (GGY) rather than the type of premises licence. An existing Small 2005 Act casino wishes to utilise the new table to gaming machines ratio alongside a reduction in its minimum required table gaming area.
This was a reflection of their overall position that cashless gaming should not be permitted on gaming machines. The government proposes that a maximum transaction limit of £100 should apply to all direct cashless payments made on gaming machines. There was some concern that this would create a safety risk for customers using gaming machines in pubs as it would increase the potential for their PIN to be observed by other customers.
More information is available in the consultation response on proposals for changes to Gambling Commission fees (opens in new tab). By checking license details and only playing at trusted sites, such as those we recommend, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing the casino is properly regulated and your rights as a player are protected at all times. The UK Gambling Commission demands extremely high standards of fairness, responsible gaming measures, and player protection. We suggest that you choose from our list here at TopRatedBingoSites, as we are careful to only recommend sites that are properly regulated and compliant with all UK gambling laws. Clicking this link should take you directly to the casino’s profile on the UKGC Official Register, where you can verify the license number, trading names, and any conditions or sanctions in place.
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.
Casino operators will be required to notify licensing authorities and the Gambling Commission if they decide to take-up their entitlement to additional gaming machines under the new regime. There must be some notification that casinos are making a change to the number of machines and tables they are offering, even if this will not always trigger the need for a premises licence variation. Under the new regime, it is quite possible that a casino would make material changes to its layout in order to site additional gaming machines, tables and potential positions for betting. For example, we do not think that it would be appropriate for a casino that has a gambling area of 280sqm and a table gaming and non-gambling area of 140sqm to be able to site 40 SSBTs alongside 25 gaming machines and at least five gaming tables. The primary benefit of this measure is increased GGY for casinos that take up additional gaming machines. Gambling operators must ensure that their supervision and monitoring of gaming machines enables them to meet the requirements of the Act and conditions of their licence.
Some respondents stated that any transaction time should at least ensure a break from the machine that is equivalent to the time it takes to access additional funds from an ATM. Our aim throughout the development of this policy has been to replicate the experience of playing on a machine with cash and the deposit and committed payment limits play an important role in the current customer journey. The government will ensure that these regulations will apply to direct debit card payments when amending the secondary legislation. There was not a uniform view on what an alternative deposit limit should be, with responses ranging from £50 to £500.
A non-licensed casino can’t legally accept UK players, and can not advertise their games to British players. All UK casino sites that operate legally in the UK are licensed. Licensed casinos are obligated to be transparent in their operations, including clear terms and conditions, bonus guidelines, and withdrawal policies.
(Mandatory response)Significant increase / Small increase / No impact / Small Decrease / Significant Decrease / I don’t know (Mandatory response) A large increase in GGY / A small increase in GGY / No impact on GGY / A small decrease in GGY / A large decrease in GGY / I don’t know What impact would options 1, 2 and 3 have on Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) for businesses? (Mandatory response) A significant increase in ability to meet demand / A slight increase in ability to meet demand / No impact / A slight decrease in ability to meet demand / A significant decrease in ability to meet demand / I don’t know This will be used to model the estimated increase in GGY for each option in the final impact assessment.
The legislation also requires ATMs in gambling-licensed premises to be positioned so that any customer who wishes to use them must stop gambling in order to do so, while in pubs and clubs the rule comes from the Code of Practice. We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely uptake of additional Category B machines under each option, nor on how the average GGY per machine will change as a result. Category B machines are significantly more profitable for operators earning considerably higher GGY than Category C and D alternatives. We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely reduction of Category C and D machines under each option. This will include assessing the role of sessions limits across Category B and C machines alongside safer gambling tools.
This restriction, alongside requirements for non-gambling area, will only apply to those 1968 Act casinos that decide to exercise the enhanced gaming machine entitlement. Only casinos that have a gambling area of 280sqm or more will be eligible to access the enhanced gaming machine entitlement. As gaming machine allowances and machine to table ratios for 1968 Act casinos and Small 2005 Act casinos converge, more consistent size requirements should apply across the two types of licence to ensure a degree of fairness and consistency. Do you perceive there to be any issue with allowing multiple casino licences in the same physical location if gaming machine entitlements are increased as proposed? 1968 Act casinos that are smaller than the configurations of a 2005 Act Small casino but have a gambling area equal to or greater than 280sqm will be able to increase their gaming machine allocations on a pro rata basis commensurate with gambling area.
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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.
Yet it remains the gold standard for European operators. The UK Gambling Commission operates one of the world’s strictest licensing regimes. Always verify licence details on the official Gambling Commission website.
Together with valuable information about latest online casino offers and much more, our mission is to always provide you with the best online casino choice, based on your own criteria’s. As outlined in the consultation, the fees payable for gaming machine notifications and gaming machine permits are not in scope of this review. We will keep the 15% increase in fees under review to ensure that its impact is proportionate both to the funding requirements of licensing authorities and the financial pressures placed on operators.