Casino sector guidance
Increased fees will enable licensing authorities to undertake more enforcement and engagement activities with licensed premises. Premises licence fees in Scotland are set under different regulations and are therefore a matter of consideration for the Scottish Government. We believe that on balance an increase to the maximum cap on premises licence fees by 15% is proportionate. A low number of premises visits may also be indicative of the lack of funding received by licensing authorities to fully undertake duties, such as inspections, alongside other administrative and enforcement functions. However, premises visits are only one aspect of a licensing authorities regulatory work. A number of these responses acknowledged the financial pressures placed on licensing authorities, which was reflected by the substantial number of industry responses that advocated for a 10% increase.
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We are also proposing that this minimum transaction time applies to all machines. The vast majority of respondents agreed that there should be a minimum transaction time for customers making a cashless transaction on a gaming machine. Category D machines do not have a committed payment limit. The committed payment limits are £10 for Category B1, B2, B3 and B3A machines, and £5 for Category B4 and C machines. The deposit limits are currently set at £20 for Category B and C machines, and £2 for Category D machines. This could include looking at how customers interact with machines that accept cashless payments, how much they spend and the impact of different protections.
You will be responsible for ensuring that the software you supply is capable of being deployed in a manner that complies with our Remote gambling and software technical standards. The firm’s Brussels office provides legal support and lobbies EU decision-makers on behalf of clients on a wide range of matters, including EU copyright, audio-visual regulation, data protection, competition policy, trade and e-commerce. The firm serves a diverse clientele, ranging from industry leaders in broadcast entertainment, music, sports and publishing to innovative platforms, content retailers, gaming and technology companies, as well as budding entrepreneurs. He is experienced in advising clients on regulatory compliance matters, licensing and product classification, seeking M&A regulatory approvals and cross-border jurisdictional risk. He advises many of the industry’s leading operators and suppliers, as well as start-up companies, investors and other leading law firms.
This will ensure that only distinct and sizeable table gaming areas can count towards the total, giving customers a genuine mix of products that are easily accessible and identifiable in a casino. The same 12.5% rule that applies in 2005 Act casinos is also proposed to apply for 1968 Act casinos that seek to move onto the new regime. Furthermore, this exemption is tightly drawn to reduce any advantages that these casinos may gain compared to their competitors. The government proposes that venues will be required to comply with all specified sliding scale requirements in order to access the enhanced gaming machine entitlement. With regard to venues currently operating with a gambling area of 1500sqm or more, the strongest preference from consultation respondents was for these venues to be made to reduce their gambling area below 1500sqm. When asked about the proposed minimum gambling area, table gaming area and non-gambling area requirements, the table gaming element received one-third less support than the other 2 requirements.
A flat additional annual fee of £6,250 is payable for a licence that combines two of remote casino, bingo and virtual event betting. A flat additional annual fee of £5,000 is payable for a licence that combines two of remote casino, bingo and virtual event betting. A flat additional application fee of £2,100 is payable for a licence that combines two of remote casino, bingo and virtual event betting. A flat additional application fee of £1,680 is payable for a licence that combines two of remote casino, bingo and virtual event betting. If you contract with any of the participants who use your gambling facilities (that is if any of those participants are your own customers) then you will need this licence instead of the casino (game host) operating licence.
These are safe and trustworthy casino sites with proper licensing and player protection measures.Safe UK casinos also allow you to file formal complaints to the operators. Safe online casinos in the UK always display licensing info in the site’s footer. Whether you’re a new or a regular online gambler, always make sure that you play on casinos with a UKGC licence.
More information on licence applications is available from the Commission’s webpage Operating Licences. Converted casino licensees are advised that those wishing to utilise the new extended entitlements will need to inform the Commission under the Licence Conditions and Code of Practice (LCCP) Ordinary Code Provision 8.1.1 (Information requirements). A series of key proposals specifically relating to the land-based gambling sector were outlined in Chapter 6 of 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 (opens in new tab) in April 2023, which set out the previous government’s plans for modernising the regulation of the gambling sector. Google acts as data processor on our behalf, further information is available in Google Cloud Platform Service Specific Terms (opens in new tab) and Google’s Cloud Data Processing Addendum (opens in new tab).
Regulation 7 of the Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) Regulations 2007 sets the financial (payment) limit on the amount a person can deposit on a machine in a single action. The need to future-proof the land-based gambling sector provides the rationale for change. Consumer preferences therefore indicate that cashless would need to complement, rather than replace, cash as a gambling payment method. 45% of respondents would not be happy at all to pay for gambling via cashless payment methods. 77% felt that cashless makes it easier to spend more on gambling than intended, and 66% said that using cashless payment methods made it feel like they are spending less money than they actually are.
Rawa Kaftan is a regulatory lawyer in Wiggin’s Betting & Gaming team and advises key stakeholders in the gambling industry, including many of the world’s largest online B2C operators, software suppliers, payment service providers and investors. 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. The Gambling Commission’s Notice essentially makes clear that those B2B operators have a role in assisting the Gambling Commission in tackling unlicensed gambling in the British market and that such B2Bs place their own licence at risk by not taking sufficient steps to ensure that its content is only made available to British consumers via licensed B2C websites. The regulator has indicated that it may be less inclined to “settle” regulatory enforcement actions, particularly where operators have been made the subject of prior regulatory enforcement action, leaning towards the imposition of sanctions and penalties or, in more serious cases, suspensions and revocations of licences. For instance, since 28 February 2025, online gambling operators have been required to undertake a financial vulnerability check where a customer’s net spend exceeds £150 in a rolling 30-day period and, following the passing of secondary legislation, since May 2025 maximum stake limits per spin for online slot games are in place (£2 for those aged 18–24; £5 for those aged 25 and over). The main legislation governing gambling in the three forms identified in English law (gaming, betting and participating in a lottery) is the Gambling Act 2005.
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. ” and “can the premises only be accessed from any other gambling premises? Further detail on the different gambling and table gaming space requirements are outlined later in this chapter.
The primary benefit of this measure is a reduction in energy and maintenance costs from unused machines. The Gambling Commission will conduct a future review of the gaming machine technical standards. A more detailed estimate of the impact for each option will be presented in the final stage impact assessment, once further data has been collected. The increase in Category B machines is expected to be even higher for Option 3, where no restrictions would be applied. This suggests a higher risk of unaffordable spending on Category B machines. This suggests a relatively similar level of binge gambling across both machine categories.
Data on session duration shows that, in general, players spend a similar amount of time on Category B machines as Category C and D machines. The data used in this section reflects activity from April to September 2019 and relates to a single session on a particular machine. We would like to understand whether these types of protections are already available on these machines, or whether it would require investment in new machines or software. In addition, while customers could stake lower than the maximum on a multi-stake Category B machine, evidence suggests that on average players tend to stake more on Category B machines than Category C and D machines. These machines can also offer customers Category C or D content on the same device. For example, a customer could stake 50p on these machines which is also below the maximum stake permitted on Category C machines.
It was also suggested that customers who do not normally engage in sports betting online may be encouraged to do so via availability in a casino. Those opposed to sports betting in casinos suggested that a broader range of products makes it easier for gamblers to move from activity to activity, upscaling losses and potential harms. An identical proportion of respondents thought sports betting should be permitted as shouldn’t be permitted in land-based casinos, with a small number selecting ‘I don’t know’. This is viewed as a more proportionate table gaming area compared to other floor space requirements, and will ensure parity with 1968 Act casinos. Small 2005 Act casinos will also experience a reduction in their required minimum table gaming area, from 500sqm to 250sqm.
The consultation asked the questions below on whether licensing authority fees should be increased, and if so, by how much. A central component of allowing the land-based gambling sector to develop sustainably is to ensure that it is well regulated and that casino not on gamstop customers are protected. Many of the measures proposed within this consultation are modernising measures which are intended to support the land-based gambling industry to thrive sustainably.
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As highlighted in Chapter 2 of the land-based gambling consultation, we are aware that Category B gaming machines on average result in greater customer losses per session than Category C and D gaming machines. However, some licensing authorities posited that rather than removing lower staking machines, gambling operators should be deploying novel solutions to saving energy, such as incorporating standby and sleep functions on machines which are not in use. However, even when accounting for device type (i.e. cabinet, in-fill or tablet), the responses suggest that Category C and D gaming machines generate less GGY than Category B machines. Industry responses suggested that the projected uplift in GGY under Options 1 and 3, and conversely, the decrease or no impact in GGY under Option 2, corresponds directly with the ability to site Category B gaming machines.
The UK Gambling Commission requires operators to contribute financially to organisations focused on research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm. The list of operators and personal licence holders who have had a regulatory sanction imposed on them is published on the site of the Gambling Commission. They also collaborate with other UK organisations and the police in cases where suspicious betting or gambling activities are detected. 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.
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.
See our top UK casinos or full reviews for casinos we’ve already checked. Licensed operators must keep player funds separate from operating money and disclose the level of protection, so your balance is safeguarded. That accountability is exactly why we only ever feature UKGC-licensed casinos on CasinoReg. All casinos reviewed are UKGC licensed.
436.Where the licensing authority determines to grant the licence, they must give reasons for the attachment or exclusion of any conditions. 435.Following the grant or rejection of a premises licence, the authority must notify the applicant, the Commission, any person who made representations, the police, and HM Customs and Excise of their decision as soon as reasonably practicable. The procedures vary, depending on whether representations have been made, and what the licensing authority proposes to do with regard to licence conditions. 432.Additional procedures apply in the case of applications for a casino licence.
Over 70% of responses also agreed that card account verification should be required on each transaction. The Commission will consult further on minimum transaction times, limit setting functionality, staff alerts, safer gambling messaging and the display of session time and net position. The Commission’s published Advice to Government recognised this area as a potential example whereby it would be appropriate for requirements to be placed in the Commission’s regulatory framework rather than within the 2005 Act or in regulations. We believe these measures strike an appropriate balance between regulation applicable to modern payment methods, consumer benefits and protection of the licensing objectives.
- When playing from the UK, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) licence is the one that matters.
- These reviews cover how to use each method and list the top online casinos for each option.
- You can offer any of the games listed in our types and rules of casino games at a large casino.
- These are £10 for Category B1, B2, B3 and B3A machines, and £5 for Category B4 and C machines.
- Any measure that increases the availability of Category B machines risks leading to increased gambling harm for those playing on the machines.
This means that many FEC operators do not currently have age-controlled areas and would have to invest in creating such an area for what is a low stake product. This view was most strongly argued by licensing authorities. We will also work with the relevant trade bodies and operators to understand the feasibility of implementing voluntary test purchasing to help understand whether operators are abiding by this new restriction. This is an important measure to create a clear distinction between gambling products for adults and lower risk products accessible to children (such as crane grabbers or coin pushers) which have non-cash prizes or are entirely unlike adult gambling products. The majority of responses were in favour of an age restriction.
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.
Projections on the impact of this proposal for the AGC sector suggest there will be a 10 percent reduction in the number of Category C machines and a 20 percent reduction in the number of Category D games, in-fills, and tablets. The increase in Category B machines will enable bingo halls to better meet customer demand and will likely result in greater GGY. This would result in an overall decrease of over 900 cabinet machines across these venues, predominantly consisting of legacy Category C cabinets. Significant increases in Category B machines may increase the amount of money staked by customers, and/or the risk of harm.