How to Check a Gambling Licence in Five Steps
Find the licence statement on the website, usually in the footer, then search the business on the Gambling Commission’s register by name, trading name, domain or account number.1 (source) Confirm that the status is Active and that the website’s domain is listed.
- Find the statement. Look in the site’s footer for the Gambling Commission name, an account number and a link to the register.
- Open the register yourself. Go to gamblingcommission.gov.uk, then Public register, then Gambling businesses.
- Search. Enter the account number, the business name or the website’s domain.
- Check the status. It should say Active, with the activity you want, such as remote casino.
- Check the domain. The website you are using should appear among the business’s domain names.
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Open the register by typing the address yourself rather than clicking a link on the gambling site. Licensed businesses must link to the register,2 (source) and most do so honestly, but a fake link to a look-alike page is an easy trick for a site that has something to hide.
The register is free to use and needs no account. It also shows regulatory actions, such as fines or warnings, so you can see whether the Commission has taken action against a business in the past.1 (source) A clean record is not a guarantee, but a long list of actions is worth knowing about before you deposit.
Licence Statuses on the Register, and What They Mean
Only an Active licence means the business may offer the licensed activity. The register uses nine statuses in all,1 (source) from Pending and Suspended to Revoked, Surrendered and Expired.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | The licence is active and up to date. |
| Pending | A new licence or a change has been applied for and is not yet active. |
| Suspended | Suspended by the Commission while it investigates. |
| Revoked | Taken away after regulatory action or a breach of licence conditions. |
| Revoked (non-payment of fee) | Taken away because the annual fee was not paid. |
| Surrendered | Given up by the business because it no longer needs it. |
| Expired | The business did not apply for a new licence when the old one ended. |
| Lapsed | The business was liquidated or declared bankrupt, or the licensee can no longer act. |
| Forfeited | A court ordered that the licence no longer has effect. |
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Trading names and domain names have their own status too. A domain can be Active, Inactive or White label.1 (source) White label means the site runs under another business’s licence: the brand you see may differ from the licensed company, and that company is responsible for the site.
The Commission notes that trading names and domains are supplied by the businesses themselves and that it cannot guarantee their accuracy.1 (source) If something looks inconsistent, such as a domain that does not appear anywhere, treat it as a reason to look more closely rather than to assume the best.
What a Gambling Commission Account Number Is
The account number is the reference the Commission gives each licensed business. It appears in the business’s licence statement, and you can search the register with it to find the exact company behind a site.1 (source)
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One business can hold several licences under one account, for example for remote casino and remote betting. A site run by more than one licensed company may show more than one account number. In each case, the number should lead you to a company whose status is Active and whose domain list includes the site.
On our own comparison of UK online casinos, every listed operator shows its licence number for exactly this reason: you can check it on the register yourself.
Why a Gambling Commission Licence Matters
A licence puts the business under Great Britain’s consumer and gambling protection rules.2 (source) That includes age and identity checks before play, a ban on gambling with credit cards, GAMSTOP self-exclusion and limits on bonus terms.
| Protection | In force since |
|---|---|
| Age verified before deposit, play or free-to-play games | 7 May 20194 (source) |
| No gambling on credit cards | 14 April 20203 (source) |
| Bonus wagering capped at 10 times the bonus | 19 January 20265 (source) |
| Free self-exclusion through GAMSTOP | Required of online licensees6 (source) |
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Licensed operators also have to give you tools to stay in control, such as deposit limits and time-outs, and they must show their terms before you accept an offer. Those duties are the practical difference you notice as a player, long before any question of complaints arises.
An unlicensed site follows none of these rules. It may let under-18s play, accept credit cards, hide unfair bonus terms and ignore self-exclusion. If something goes wrong, there is no British regulator with power over it.
Gambling with a licensed business does not remove the risk of losing money; it means the business has to follow rules meant to make gambling fairer and safer. Our age and ID guide and wagering requirements guide explain two of those rules in detail.
Warning Signs of an Unlicensed Gambling Site
No licence statement, an account number that does not match the register, credit card or crypto deposits, or no age check before play are all warning signs. So are offers that claim you cannot lose or have no visible terms.
- No Gambling Commission statement in the footer, or one that names only another regulator.
- A number that does not match the register, or a domain missing from the business’s list.
- Credit card or crypto deposits. Licensed sites cannot accept gambling on credit cards.3 (source)
- Play before verification. Licensed sites check your age before you deposit or play.4 (source)
- Bonus terms you cannot find, or wagering above 10 times the bonus.5 (source)
- “Not on GAMSTOP” used as a selling point, which signals a site outside the scheme.
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Sites that advertise themselves as “not on GAMSTOP” deserve special mention. Every online operator licensed in Great Britain must take part in the scheme, so a site that boasts of being outside it is telling you it is not licensed here. People who have self-excluded are exactly who those sites target.
If you have self-excluded and are tempted to look for a way round it, free and confidential help is available from GambleAware and the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Our safer gambling page lists more options.
What the Register Does Not Tell You
The register confirms who holds a licence, for which activities and with what status. It does not rate a site’s games, bonuses or customer service, and it is not a recommendation.
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A licence sets a floor, not a ceiling. Two licensed casinos can differ a great deal in how clearly they write their bonus terms, how quickly they pay out and how easy they make it to set a deposit limit. The register will not show you those differences; the site’s own terms, and comparisons that set them side by side, will.
The register also reflects what the business has told the Commission about its trading names and domains, which the Commission cannot guarantee.1 (source) A brand name that appears in an advert but not on the register is worth a second search under the website’s domain before you assume anything.
Finally, a licence covers what the business does for players in Great Britain. If you live in Northern Ireland or elsewhere, different rules may apply, and our guide to age and ID rules explains how Northern Ireland’s separate gambling law fits in.
How to Report an Unlicensed Gambling Site
Report it to the Gambling Commission through its website. The Commission uses reports as intelligence for enforcement, but it has no power to resolve individual complaints.7 (source)
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When you report, include the website address, the dates you used it, any account number it showed and screenshots of the offer or the payment page. The more specific the information, the more useful it is.
For a dispute with a licensed business, such as a withheld withdrawal, complain to the business first. If you are still unhappy after eight weeks, you can take the complaint to a free, independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider approved by the Commission.7 (source) The register entry tells you which company to address, and an unlicensed site offers no such route at all.
To compare sites that hold an Active licence, our UK casino comparison lists the licensed UK sites. 18+
Quick Check: Licences and the Register
Three questions on checking a licence. Pick an answer to see the explanation.
Checking a UK Gambling Licence: Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers on the public register, account numbers, white label sites and what to do about an unlicensed site.
Where is the Gambling Commission public register?
What should a licensed site show?
Is a licence from another country valid for players in Great Britain?
What does a white label domain mean on the register?
Will the Gambling Commission help me get money back from a site?
Does a licence mean a site is safe?
Can a licensed site lose its licence?
Sources
Documents behind this page, grouped by publisher type and dated.