Most of the activities on the Commission's register describe a business that runs gambling: Casino, Bingo, a betting activity. Ancillary remote licences are a different idea. The word ancillary means supporting, and the category exists for businesses that play a part in remote gambling without being the company that takes the stakes and pays the prizes.
What the category is for
The Gambling Act 2005 divides the gambling industry into roles. The main one is the operator, which holds an operating licence for the activity it provides. Others in the chain, such as the people who make the software, hold licences of their own. Our page on gaming machine and software covers that group. Ancillary remote licences cover a further set of supporting roles, where the Commission decided that the business ought to be licensed and subject to conditions even though it is not the operator.
The Act names ancillary licences by the kind of gambling they relate to: casino, bingo and betting. The exact roles that need one, and the names the register uses, are set out in the Commission's guidance for licensees. We describe the category in general terms and leave the precise scope to that guidance, because it is the source of record and it can change.
What the register shows in our data
None of the twelve operators on this site's licensed casinos list shows an ancillary activity, as read on 9 November 2026. The activities that do appear are Casino, Bingo, two General Betting Standard activities, Pool Betting, Betting Intermediary and Gambling Software. The absence is not a gap. These twelve are the operators behind the casino brands listed here, and they hold operating activities because they take the stakes.
The wider register held 2,629 records on 9 November 2026, and we have not counted ancillary entries among them. A business in this category is not a consumer brand, so a player is unlikely to meet one directly. If you want to find one, search the register by business name or account number and read the activity list.
How an ancillary licence differs from an operating licence
The difference is easiest to see by asking who handles the player's stake.
| Question | Operating licence | Ancillary licence |
|---|---|---|
| Who takes the stake? | The licensee | Not the licensee |
| Who pays the prize? | The licensee | Not the licensee |
| Who must provide GAMSTOP and limits? | The licensee | The operator being supported |
| What does the player see? | A brand and a cashier | Usually nothing directly |
The consequence for a player is that protections attach to the operator. If you play at a licensed site, GAMSTOP, deposit limits, identity checks and the complaint route sit with the operating licensee, whatever supporting businesses are involved. Our trust and safety page lists those protections.
Who needs one
The question of who needs an ancillary licence is a matter of the Act and the Commission's guidance, and the answer depends on what the business does. This page does not give legal advice. A business that is unsure should read the Commission's guidance for licensees on its website, and take advice from a solicitor who knows gambling law. What can be said in general is that a business which runs gambling for customers in Great Britain by remote means needs an operating licence, and that supporting roles may need licences of their own.
Section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005 makes it an offence to provide gambling facilities without the right licence, and section 36 applies the rule to remote gambling used in Great Britain. Sections 327 and 330 cover advertising of unlicensed gambling, which is a separate area from ancillary licensing. The Commission publishes its enforcement against unlicensed activity on its website, and our UKGC fines and sanctions page explains how to read the actions it publishes.
Reading the status
The register gives each licence a status. Active means the licence is in force and up to date. Pending means an application or variation is not yet active. Suspended means the Commission has suspended the licence pending investigation. Revoked, Surrendered, Lapsed, Expired and Forfeited mean the licence no longer works. The full definitions are on the licence types page.
How to look one up
- Open the Commission's register of gambling businesses and search by business name, trading name, domain name or account number.
- Open the entry and read the status.
- Read the activity list, where an ancillary activity would appear with a start date.
- Check the domain list and the regulatory actions field.
Our guide to checking a UKGC licence explains each step. For the activities that most readers need, see remote casino, remote betting and remote bingo.
Gambling help
Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over. If gambling is causing you concern, the GamCare National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133 and open 24 hours, and GamCare has further support. GAMSTOP lets you exclude yourself from licensed sites, and BeGambleAware has more guidance.