Every casino that takes British customers legally has one thing in common: a remote operating licence from the Gambling Commission. Every casino that wants to look legal has learned to print something that resembles one in its footer. The difference between the two can be checked for free, in a few minutes, on the Commission’s public register. This guide shows you exactly which fields to read and what each one tells you.
Why the licence comes first
Since the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 took effect on 1 November 2014, the location of the customer decides the matter: serve people in Great Britain remotely and you need a Commission licence, no matter where your company is registered. Every protection a British player relies on hangs off that licence: GAMSTOP participation, age verification before deposit, the ban on credit card gambling, the per-spin stake caps on slots, the tenfold ceiling on bonus wagering and access to a free, independent dispute service. A licence from another country does not carry any of these rules with it.
That is why our casino scorecard treats the licence as pass or fail. If it fails, nothing else on the site matters.
Step 1: find the claim on the site
Licensed operators show their licence details on the site, usually in the footer. Look for three things:
- The name of the company that holds the licence, which is often not the same as the brand name on the logo.
- An account number, sometimes written as “licence number” or “account no.”.
- A link to the Commission’s register. A real link is useful, but do not rely on it. Type the address yourself.
Do not click the badge and stop there. A logo or a link in a footer can point anywhere. Go to gamblingcommission.gov.uk directly and search the register from there.
Step 2: search the public register
On the Gambling Commission website, open the public register and choose the business search. You can search by account number or company name. The account number is the more reliable route, because company names can be similar and brands are often run by a parent company with a different name.
A business record opens with the company name, its account number and its head office address. Head offices outside the UK are normal. Many GB-licensed operators are based in Malta, Gibraltar or elsewhere. What matters is the licence, not the postcode.
Step 3: read the licence summary
The licence summary lists each licensed activity on its own line, with a licence number, a status and a start date. For an online casino you are looking for these elements together:
| Field on the register | What you want to see | What should worry you |
|---|---|---|
| Activity | Casino | Only betting or bingo, when the site offers slots and table games |
| Licence type | Remote | Non-remote only (that covers land-based premises) |
| Licence number | A number containing “-R-“, which marks a remote licence | No number, or one that does not match the footer |
| Status | Active | Anything else, such as surrendered, suspended or revoked |
| From / To | A start date and “Current” | An end date that has already passed |
The register explains the licence types itself. A remote licence is needed for gambling provided online or by other remote means. A non-remote licence covers physical, land-based gambling such as betting shops and casinos. An ancillary remote licence covers remote gaming that takes place only on a single set of premises, so it does not cover a normal casino website.
Step 4: match the brand and the web address
This is the step that catches copycats. The register shows separate counts for trading names and domain names. Open both. You are checking that the brand you are playing with, or the exact web address in your browser, appears under the company whose account number the footer quotes.
Large groups can list dozens of trading names under one account. That is normal. What is not normal is a site that quotes a real company’s account number while its own brand and address appear nowhere on that company’s record. In that case the licence does not prove anything about the site in front of you.
- Note the brand name exactly as it appears on the site.
- Open the trading names list on the register record and look for it.
- Open the domain names list and look for the web address.
- If the brand or address is listed, move on. If neither is, stop and do not deposit.
Step 5: check for regulatory action
The same record has a regulatory actions section. It lists formal action the Commission has taken against the business, such as financial penalties or additional licence conditions. An entry here is not automatically a reason to avoid an operator, because several large companies have paid penalties and changed their processes as a result. It is a reason to read the details. Look at what the failings were, how recent they are, and whether they concern areas that matter to you, like safer-gambling checks or anti-money-laundering controls.
Penalty notices make useful reading. The Commission publishes the reasons for each action. They often show which processes failed, and that is a better guide to an operator’s habits than any review score.
Step 6: confirm the complaints route
A GB licence requires the operator to have a complaints procedure and to use a Commission-approved alternative dispute resolution provider. The site’s terms or complaints page should name the provider. IBAS and eCOGRA are the most common, and the Commission’s approved list has eight in total. If the casino names none, raise it with the operator before you deposit. Our guide to casino complaints and ADR covers what happens next if you ever need it.
What other licences mean for UK players
Many casinos display more than one licence. A group might be licensed in Malta for European customers and in Great Britain for British ones. That is fine, as long as the GB licence is there and active. The problem arises when a site serving UK players shows only a foreign licence.
| What the footer shows | What it means for a player in Great Britain |
|---|---|
| Gambling Commission licence, active, brand listed | Fully covered by GB rules, including GAMSTOP and ADR |
| GB licence plus a foreign licence | Covered by GB rules for your account; the foreign licence covers other markets |
| Only a foreign licence (for example Curaçao) | Not licensed to serve GB customers; no GB protections apply |
| A licence logo with no number | Unverifiable; treat as unlicensed |
| Nothing at all | Avoid |
Curaçao is the foreign licence UK players meet most often on offshore sites. Curaçao overhauled its regime on 24 December 2024, when its new gaming ordinance took effect, replacing its old master-licence arrangement with a single regulator, the Curaçao Gaming Authority. That reform matters for Curaçao’s own oversight. It does not authorise anyone to offer gambling to people in Great Britain.
What to do if a site is not licensed
If a site is offering gambling to people in Great Britain and does not appear to hold a licence, the Commission asks you to report it through its “Tell us something in confidence” page. You do not need to have played there to make a report.
If you already have money on such a site, the most useful step is usually to request a withdrawal in writing and keep copies of everything. Be aware that no GB dispute service can rule on an unlicensed operator. If gambling on those sites has become a way around a self-exclusion you set up, please talk to the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. That is exactly the situation it exists for.
A quick reference you can keep
| Check | Time it takes | Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Find company name and account number in footer | 20 seconds | Both present |
| Search account number on the register | 30 seconds | Record found |
| Casino, Remote, Active in licence summary | 20 seconds | All three present |
| Brand or domain in trading/domain names | 40 seconds | Listed |
| Regulatory actions | 30 seconds | None, or read and understood |
| ADR provider named in terms | 30 seconds | Named |
Once you have done it twice, the whole routine takes under three minutes. It is the cheapest insurance in online gambling.
Frequently asked
Does a UKGC licence mean the casino is safe?
It means the casino must follow GB rules and can be sanctioned if it does not. It does not guarantee perfect service, which is why the other checks on our scorecard still matter.
The footer number matches but the brand is not listed. Is that a problem?
It can be a recent addition the register has not caught up with, but you cannot confirm it. Ask the operator in writing which licence covers the brand and wait for a clear answer before depositing.
Are casinos that show a Malta licence legal in the UK?
Only if they also hold an active GB licence. A Malta licence alone does not authorise an operator to serve customers in Great Britain.
18+ only. Licensed casinos must offer deposit limits, time-outs and GAMSTOP self-exclusion. For free, confidential help call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or see our responsible gambling page.