casinolicence.co.uk
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Checked against the UK Gambling Commission public register on 9 November 2026. An independent site, not the Gambling Commission. How we work.

A remote casino licence is what lets a business run casino games online for people in Great Britain. On the Commission's public register the activity appears simply as Casino. The register's field list has no separate label for remote, but the word describes how the games reach the player: over the internet, on a phone or through another remote channel.

What the Casino activity means

In plain words, casino gambling is playing games of chance for a stake and a prize. The usual examples are roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker-style table games and the slot-style games found at online casinos. The player stakes money, a random process or the operator decides the result, and winnings are paid if the player wins.

An operator holding the Casino activity may provide those games. It is also bound by the licence conditions and codes of practice, a set of rules that cover things such as identity checks, fair terms, complaint handling and GAMSTOP membership. The slot stake caps, £5 a spin for adults aged 25 and over and £2 for ages 18 to 24, are among the player-facing rules that come with the licence, and our stake limits page explains them.

Who needs one

Anyone who provides casino gambling to people in Great Britain by remote means needs an operating licence from the Commission. Section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005 makes it an offence to provide gambling facilities without one. Section 36 says it does not matter whether the facilities are provided inside or outside the United Kingdom, and, for remote gambling, it applies where the equipment is in Great Britain or where the facilities are used there. A 2014 amendment added a knowledge test for operators whose equipment is outside Great Britain: the offence applies if the operator knows or should know that the facilities are used, or likely to be used, in Great Britain.

For a UK player, this is the practical dividing line. An online casino with a Casino activity and an Active status on the register is inside the system. One without a licence is outside it, and the player loses the protections the licence carries. Playing at an unlicensed site is not an offence for the player, since the section 33 offence lies with the operator, but the licence is what supplies GAMSTOP coverage, the complaint route and the affordability checks.

What the register shows for Casino

All twelve operators in our data hold the Casino activity. The start dates differ. Several show 1 November 2014, the date the 2014 Act took effect for remote gambling used in Great Britain. Others are later, with the newest in our data dated 2025. The Commission describes the start date as the date the business was most recently granted a licence to operate the product, so it may reflect a new licence rather than the first time the business held the activity.

Each entry also shows the licence number, the account number, the declared trading names and the declared domains. For example, the page for 888 UK Limited restates what the register shows for that holder, and the licensed casinos list links the brands. The register reading is dated 9 November 2026, and the Commission's page is the source of record.

Reading the status

An Active status means the licence is in force and up to date. Pending means an application or a variation is in progress and the licence is not yet active. Suspended means the Commission has stopped the activity pending investigation. Revoked, Surrendered, Lapsed, Expired and Forfeited all mean the business no longer holds a working licence. The full table sits on the licence types page.

In August and September 2026 the Commission announced suspensions of operating licences, one of them a combined remote operating licence. Those notices are published among its enforcement news items, and the register status for the business changes accordingly. If a casino you use shows a status other than Active, treat it as a stop sign until the Commission explains the position.

How to check a casino licence

  1. Open the Commission's register of gambling businesses and search by account number, business name, trading name or domain name.
  2. Open the entry for the legal entity and check that the status is Active.
  3. Look at the activity list for Casino and its start date.
  4. Match the domain on the entry to the web address you are looking at. The domain status should read Active, or White label if the site is operated for another business.
  5. Look at the regulatory actions field for any sanction or settlement.

Our guide to checking a UKGC licence walks through the same steps with more detail, and the UKGC fines and sanctions page explains how to read the actions.

Many casino licensees also hold betting or bingo activities on the same entry. See remote betting and remote bingo. The companies that build the games hold software licences, covered on the gaming machine and software page.

Gambling help

Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over. If you want to talk to someone, the GamCare National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133 and open 24 hours, with more at GamCare. Use GAMSTOP to exclude yourself from licensed sites, and see BeGambleAware for further advice.

Questions readers ask

What does the Casino activity on the register authorise?

It authorises the licensee to provide casino gambling, which in plain terms means games of chance such as roulette, blackjack and slots-style games played against the operator or a random process. For an online business the licence is remote, so the games are played over the internet or other remote means.

Does every online casino need a UKGC licence?

Any business that provides remote gambling used in Great Britain needs one, wherever it is based. Under sections 33 and 36 of the Gambling Act 2005, as amended in 2014, the operator commits an offence if it provides facilities without a licence. The player does not commit an offence by playing.

Can one licence cover several brand names?

Yes. The register shows a licence held by a legal entity, with the brand names declared as trading names and the website addresses as domain names. One entity can run many brands. That is why our operator pages list the brands and domains linked to each account number.

What is the account number on a casino entry?

It is the unique reference the Commission gives each business. Operators can change trading names and domains, but the account number stays with the entity. Searching by account number is the most reliable way to check that a name on a website matches the licence holder.

What happens to players if a casino licence is suspended?

A suspended licence means the Commission has stopped the licensee from operating while it investigates. The Commission publishes suspensions among its news items, and the register shows the status. Players with funds on a suspended site should follow the operator's and the Commission's published guidance.