The UK Gambling Commission is widely regarded as one of the most respected gambling regulators in the world. A UKGC licence is required for any operator wishing to offer gambling services to UK-based customers, regardless…
A UK iGaming licence is formally known as a remote gambling operating licence, issued by the UK Gambling Commission. You need one if you provide facilities for remote gambling to consumers in Great Britain through a website, mobile application or any other form of remote communication. This applies regardless of where your business is based, and a separate licence is required for each type of gambling activity you intend to offer.
| Regulator | UK Gambling Commission |
| Licence name | Remote gambling operating licence |
| Governing legislation | Gambling Act 2005, and the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice |
| Operating licence timescale | Approximately 16 weeks (Commission average) |
| Personal licence timescale | Approximately 8 weeks (Commission average) |
| Fees | Vary by activity and projected gross gambling yield. Use the Commission’s fee calculator |
| Personal licences | Personal Management Licences required for specified management functions |
| Applies to | Any operator serving Great Britain, wherever the business is based |
The Gambling Commission lists an average processing time of approximately 16 weeks for an operating licence application. That timescale is not guaranteed and assumes the application is complete when submitted. Personal licence applications average approximately eight weeks.
The time required may be affected by:
The cost depends on the activities being provided and the relevant fee category. There is no single flat fee.
Application and annual fees are affected by:
The Gambling Commission provides an online operating licence fee calculator that estimates the application fee, first annual fee and subsequent annual fees. Fee categories and amounts change, so applicants should always check current figures directly with the Commission.
Applicants must provide sufficient and complete information to allow the Commission to assess ownership, finances, competence, integrity and the ability to comply with the licensing objectives. The main areas are policy documentation, due diligence and source of funds, business plans and financial projections, and supporting corporate documents.
Policies must demonstrate that the business understands its regulatory responsibilities and can comply with the Gambling Act 2005, the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, and other applicable Commission requirements. Documentation normally includes:
The Commission assesses the suitability of the applicant and everyone connected with the proposed business, including directors, shareholders, controllers, ultimate beneficial owners and investors. It considers identity and ownership, financial resources, the legitimacy of the source of capital, integrity, competence, criminality, and the ability to comply with regulatory responsibilities.
Applicants must evidence clearly how the business will be financed. The Commission will not grant an operating licence until it is satisfied that the operation will not be financed using the proceeds of crime and that profits will not be used to finance criminal activity.
Existing businesses may need to provide accounts and financial records. New businesses normally submit financial projections showing the resources available to establish and operate the proposed activities, covering projected income and expenditure, cash-flow forecasts, gross gambling yield projections, staffing and compliance costs, platform and supplier costs, marketing expenditure, funding and investment information, and the assumptions behind them.
Projections must show sufficient resources to deliver compliance arrangements and carry on the licensed activities. The Commission may make further enquiries where resources appear inadequate or are not properly secured.
Documents commonly required for a remote operating licence application include a business plan, financial forecasts, bank statements, audited accounts where available, a certificate of incorporation, a company or group structure chart, identity documents, information about shareholders and controllers, existing gambling licences, gambling software supply details, and evidence of compliance with the Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards. The exact list depends on the applicant’s circumstances and the licence type sought.
There is no single licence formally called a UK iGaming licence. The appropriate licence depends on the activities provided.
Allows an operator to offer casino games through a website, mobile application, television or another online service, including online slots, roulette, blackjack, poker and other casino games. A business contracting directly with customers normally requires a remote casino operating licence rather than a casino game host operating licence.
May be required where a business offers betting through a website, application, telephone, email or another means of remote communication. The correct licence depends on the betting activity, including whether the business provides real-event betting, virtual-event betting, or acts as an intermediary.
Individuals responsible for specified management functions may need to hold a Personal Management Licence, commonly called a PML. Depending on the nature and scale of the business, relevant functions include:
One PML holder may sometimes occupy more than one specified management office. However, the individual responsible for the regulatory compliance function must not normally occupy another specified management office unless the Commission gives express approval.
A PML application normally requires identity documents, address history, employment and experience details, criminal record information, relevant qualifications or training, and details of the proposed management position. The Commission considers whether the applicant has the competence, integrity and experience required. Where an individual has limited gambling-sector experience, the Commission may look for evidence that appropriate training in gambling regulation has been arranged.
There is no requirement to instruct a lawyer to apply for a UK gambling operating licence. Applications are submitted directly to the Gambling Commission through its online service, and many applicants prepare their submission with specialist gambling compliance support rather than legal representation. A lawyer may be worth involving where the corporate structure, funding arrangements or ownership position raises legal questions that sit outside the licensing process itself.
Applications are submitted through the Gambling Commission’s online application service. Applicants complete detailed questions about the proposed business and upload the required policies, financial information, corporate records and due diligence documents.
Applications must be complete when submitted. The Commission may reject an incomplete application, request further information, or determine the application based on the information available. The application fee is payable on submission and is not normally refunded where an application is rejected as incomplete.
Applicants may need to appoint a range of specialist providers before launching a UK-licensed online gambling business, including platform providers, gambling software suppliers, approved testing laboratories, identity and age-verification providers, payment service providers, and alternative dispute-resolution providers.
Any gambling software used by a remote operating licensee must have been manufactured and supplied by the holder of an appropriate gambling software operating licence. A gambling software operating licence does not, by itself, permit a business to provide facilities for gambling. A business providing remote casino, bingo, betting or other gambling facilities may also require the appropriate remote operating licence.