How to check a gambling licence
Last reviewed 9 July 2026.
In Great Britain, any company offering online casino, betting, bingo or poker to the public must hold a licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). A licence is not a badge of trust on its own, but it is the floor: it means the operator has to protect customer funds to a stated standard, verify age and identity, offer safer-gambling tools, and follow rules on fair play and advertising. An unlicensed site owes you none of that. We only list UKGC-licensed operators, and here is how to check any site for yourself.
Check the operator against the public register
The Commission runs a free public register of every licence it has issued. Search the operator's name at registers.gamblingcommission.gov.uk and confirm three things:
- The company holds a current licence that has not lapsed or been surrendered.
- The licence covers the activity you're about to use (for example remote casino, or general betting).
- The trading name of the website is listed against that licence. Operators run several brands under one company, so the site name may differ from the company name.
Check the site's own footer
Every licensed site must display its licensing information, usually in the footer. Look for the operator's company name, its account number with the Commission, and a link back to its register entry. Cross-check that account number against the register. If a site aimed at British players shows no UKGC details at all, treat that as a stop sign.
What a licence protects, and what it does not
A UKGC licence means the operator must follow rules on fund protection, fair terms, responsible-gambling tools and complaints handling. It does not guarantee you will win, and it does not make gambling safe. Licensing is about conduct and consumer protection, not outcomes.
- Disputes: if you can't resolve a complaint with the operator, licensed sites must use an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider. The register entry and site footer will name it.
- Self-exclusion: every UKGC-licensed site is part of GAMSTOP, so a single registration blocks you across all of them.