Non UK casinos are online casinos run under a licence from another country rather than from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). They are not covered by GAMSTOP, and a UK player loses the UK protections that depend on a UKGC licence. This page explains what a foreign licence means, how the main ones differ and why the answer to which ones take UK players is more specific than the search suggests. It is information only.
What the search is looking for
The terms vary: curacao casinos uk, mga casinos uk, offshore casinos uk and european casinos accepting uk players. The searcher wants to understand what a foreign licence means, and which of them will let a UK customer in. Some are comparing regulators out of curiosity, others have a casino in mind and want to know whether its licence is worth anything.
There are two separate questions. Does the casino hold a valid licence in its home country? And does it hold the licence needed to provide gambling to people in Great Britain? The first answer can be yes while the second is no.
What the UK requires
Under the Gambling Act 2005, an operator providing remote gambling used in Great Britain needs a UKGC licence (section 36 deals with remote gambling used in Great Britain, and section 33 makes it an offence to provide gambling without the right permission). The offence falls on the operator, not on the player. For the player, the result is practical: the site sits outside the UK regulatory system.
That means no UKGC complaint route, no approved ADR provider, no GAMSTOP, no UK stake caps, no affordability checks to UK standards and no UK disclosure on customer funds. See stake limits, affordability checks and the GAMSTOP page.
How the main foreign licences differ
The country pages give detail. A short comparison helps:
| Licence country | What to check | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Curacao | Whether the operator appears on the government register | gobiernu.cw |
| Malta | The MGA licence register and decisions | mga.org.mt |
| Anjouan | The Anjouan Gaming authority's licence list | anjouangaming.com |
| Kahnawake | The Kahnawake Gaming Commission's listings | gamingcommission.ca |
Costa Rica is covered on its own page. The point of the table is that a licence has to be checked at its source. A badge on an operator's website is a claim, and it is the regulator's own list that settles it.
What a foreign licence usually does and does not cover
A foreign licence may cover the operator's finances, the testing of games and some player dispute handling. The extent varies by regulator, and some licences are held through a sub-licensor, which adds a layer between the casino and the regulator. A UK player should read what the regulator itself publishes, and what it does not.
It will not cover GAMSTOP, UK ADR or the Commission's enforcement powers. If a dispute arises, the question is whether the foreign regulator takes complaints from a UK customer. Some do, with limits, and some do not.
Can a European or Maltese licence stand in for a UK one?
The question arises often with european casinos accepting uk players. A licence from one country does not carry over to another. Each country decides who may provide gambling to its residents, and Great Britain decides through the UKGC licence, whether the operator sits in Europe or elsewhere.
The practical result is that a casino can be properly licensed in Malta, in good standing with its regulator, and still be unlicensed for Great Britain. For a UK player, the second fact decides which protections apply. Our page on licence types shows what a UKGC remote licence covers, and the remote casino page gives the detail for casino games.
Practical risks
When something goes wrong, distance matters. Terms may choose the law of the licence country. Contact may be limited to chat, and the company named in the terms may differ from the brand you know. Withdrawal checks and payment limits can still be applied under the operator's own rules, and a UK player has no independent body to test them against. Tax treatment is not covered on this page.
For a general checklist before using any site, see trust and safety.
Protecting yourself
Read the licence details on the regulator's site, not only on the casino's. Keep your GAMSTOP registration active if you have one. It still works on all UK licensed sites. Gambling blocking software and bank gambling blocks are types of tool that add protection across all sites, as set out on the other self-exclusion page.
If you play at a non-UK site, set limits in advance, keep records of terms and screenshots, and do not deposit money you need for essentials.
The licensed alternative
A UKGC licence appears on the public register, and the licence check guide shows how to confirm one in minutes. The licensed casinos section lists brands and companies on that register as read on 9 November 2026. The licence types pages explain what each UK licence covers. For the offshore side as information, see the offshore list and casinos not on GAMSTOP.
Gambling help
Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over only. If it is becoming a problem, the GamCare National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 is free and open 24 hours a day, and you can talk to GamCare online. GAMSTOP and BeGambleAware offer more help.