How to Check a UK Gambling Licence: UKGC Casino Guide

Checking a British online casino licence takes more than finding a Gambling Commission logo in the footer. The official public register should connect the exact website domain to a named legal operator, show an active licence and list the remote activities that cover the product being offered. If any part of that chain is missing, do not deposit until the discrepancy is resolved.

The check matters because a familiar brand can trade through a legal entity with a different name, several brands can sit under one licence, and scam or unlicensed sites can copy badges and design elements. The Gambling Commission register was updated on 6 October 2026 and can be searched by business name, trading name, domain name or account number.

Search results can be easier to interpret when the domain is entered without a path, tracking code or promotional subdomain. If the register shows a similar trading name but not the domain actually collecting deposits, treat that as a failed check. A licence attached to another website does not transfer merely because the branding looks related.

“Active” means the licence is current and up to date. “Pending” means an application or variation is not yet active, so it is not a substitute for permission to offer the pending activity. “Suspended” means the Commission has stopped the licence while an investigation or review is under way.

The register also uses expired, forfeited, lapsed, revoked and surrendered. These describe different routes by which authority ended or ceased to have effect. “Revoked (Non payment of fee)” is a separate status for an annual fee that was not paid. None of these statuses should be presented to customers as a current British licence.

Domain records have their own status. Active is the clearest match. Inactive means the domain is no longer recorded as active for that business. “White label” identifies a domain operated under a licensed business’s platform or arrangements; the licence holder still needs to be identifiable, and the exact domain still needs to appear in the official record.

A business record can contain several operating activities, each with its own start and end dates. Check the activity, not only the headline status. Remote casino, remote general betting, betting intermediary, bingo and gambling-software permissions serve different functions. A software supplier licence also does not turn an unrelated consumer-facing casino into a licensed operator.

This is particularly important when one website combines sportsbook, casino, poker or bingo sections. The legal entity and permissions may differ across markets or products. The British register answers the Great Britain question; a licence from Malta, Curaçao or another jurisdiction does not replace Gambling Commission authority to serve British consumers.

Licensed remote operators that hold customer money must keep it in a separate account and disclose the level and method of insolvency protection when a customer deposits. The customer must acknowledge that disclosure. Separation does not necessarily mean the balance is guaranteed if the business fails, so read the stated protection rating rather than treating “licensed” as a promise that every pound is insured.

A licence also places the business within rules covering identity checks, fair terms, complaints, safer-gambling controls, self-exclusion and technical standards. It does not guarantee winnings, approve every promotion or prevent every dispute. Licence status is the first check, not a recommendation or a substitute for reading withdrawal, bonus and verification terms.

The Gambling Commission does not decide individual transaction or service complaints. Start with the operator’s published complaints process, include dates, amounts and evidence, and keep a copy of everything submitted. The business has up to eight weeks to resolve the complaint.

If the issue remains unresolved after the internal process, the customer may be able to use the operator’s Alternative Dispute Resolution provider. ADR is free and independent, but it generally requires the operator’s process to have finished or eight weeks to have passed. The business should identify its ADR provider and may issue a deadlock letter. This route is one practical difference between using a licensed operator and sending money to a site outside the British system.

The government introduced a new Gambling Commission fee schedule on 1 October 2026. It applied a headline 25% increase to operating-licence fees, personal licences, variations, changes of corporate control, supplementary licences and single-machine permits. Society-lottery fees were frozen, and the uplift was not distributed evenly across every operating-licence category.

The change funds regulation and does not alter how a player checks a casino. Fees vary by licensed activity and, for many operating licences, by the operator’s gross gambling yield band. Paying a higher fee is not a quality rating, endorsement or extra guarantee for customers. The register status, exact domain, authorised activities and current terms remain the relevant checks.

Save the register record, website footer, terms and payment receipts if something looks wrong. Do not send more money to prove ownership or unlock funds. Report suspected unlicensed gambling to the Commission and contact the payment provider promptly if fraud or an unauthorised transaction may be involved.

Search the Gambling Commission’s business register using the exact domain. Confirm the domain status, legal operator, active operating licence and activities that cover the product. A logo or licence number displayed by the casino is not enough on its own.

There is no single price. Application and annual fees depend on the activity and, for many operating licences, the expected or reported gross gambling yield band. A new schedule took effect on 1 October 2026 with a headline 25% increase, but the increase was not identical for every category.

A business providing regulated gambling to consumers in Great Britain generally needs the relevant Gambling Commission permission for its activities. Different rules and permissions apply to remote operators, premises, software suppliers, lotteries and occasional activities, so businesses should use the Commission’s official licensing guidance or take legal advice rather than relying on a general article.

Use the register before opening an account and repeat the check if a casino changes domain, legal entity or terms. Keep deposits within an affordable limit and never treat a licence as evidence that gambling is safe or profitable. Gambling is for adults aged 18 or over and every stake can be lost.

Sources: Gambling Commission, “Register of gambling businesses” (updated 6 October 2026, official search fields and status definitions); Department for Culture, Media and Sport, “Government response to the proposals for changes to Gambling Commission fees from 1 October 2026” (30 June 2026, official fee decision and schedules); Gambling Commission, “Protecting customer funds” (updated 10 September 2025, segregation and disclosure requirements); Gambling Commission, “How to complain” (updated 20 September 2023, operator complaint process and eight-week period); and Gambling Commission, “Taking your complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution provider” (updated 15 May 2026, current ADR route).