A logo in a website footer costs nothing to copy. A licence on the Gambling Commission’s public register cannot be faked. If you only learn one habit before signing up to an online casino, make it this: take the licence number from the site and check it against the register yourself. It takes about two minutes, and it tells you whether the site is allowed to take your money, which company runs it, and whether that company has been in trouble with the regulator. Here is how to do it properly.
Know why the licence matters
Under the Gambling Act 2005, as amended in 2014, any operator offering remote gambling to people in Great Britain needs a licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), wherever the business is based. A licence brings the operator under a long list of obligations that protect you.
| Protection | At a UKGC-licensed casino | At a site without a UKGC licence |
|---|---|---|
| Age and identity checks before you gamble | Required | Not guaranteed |
| GAMSTOP self-exclusion | Must be honoured | Not connected |
| Slot stake limits (£5, or £2 for 18 to 24) | Required | Not applied |
| 10x bonus wagering cap | Required since 19 January 2026 | Not applied |
| Credit card gambling ban | Required since 14 April 2020 | Credit cards often accepted |
| Approved dispute resolution (ADR) | Required | Not available |
| Disclosure of how your funds are protected | Required | Not required |
Find the licence details on the casino site
Scroll to the footer of the casino’s home page. A licensed operator will normally state:
- the name of the company that holds the licence;
- a statement that it is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission;
- its account number;
- often a link to its entry on the public register.
The terms and conditions page usually repeats these details, along with the company’s registered address. Note the company name and account number exactly as written.
Brand and licensee are often different. Many casinos are run by a licensed company under a separate brand name, sometimes as part of a group operating several sites. That is normal. What matters is that the brand appears against the licence on the register.
Check the public register step by step
- Open the Gambling Commission’s public register from the official gamblingcommission.gov.uk website. Type the address yourself rather than following a link from the casino.
- Search by account number if you have it, or by company name.
- Check the status. The licence should be shown as active.
- Check the activities. For an online casino, the licence should cover remote casino activity.
- Check the domain names and trading names. The register lists the websites operated under the licence. The site you are on should be there.
- Look for regulatory action. Public statements and sanctions against the licensee are published by the Commission.
Read what the register tells you
| Register field | What to look for | What should worry you |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Active | Suspended, revoked, surrendered or no record |
| Activities | Remote casino for an online casino | Activities that do not match what the site offers |
| Domain names | The exact web address you are using | A similar but different domain |
| Trading names | The brand name on the site | Brand not listed |
| Regulatory action | None, or historic and resolved | Recent serious findings, for example on social responsibility or anti-money laundering failures |
A past fine does not automatically make a casino unsafe. Many large operators have been sanctioned at some point. Read what it was for. Failures on social responsibility or money laundering tell you more about how a company treats customers than a technical breach does.
Spot the common tricks
Lookalike domains
A copycat site may use a name close to a well-known brand. If the domain is not on the register under that licence, do not deposit.
Borrowed licence numbers
An unlicensed site can display a real account number that belongs to someone else. The register’s domain list catches this: the site’s address will not be there.
Foreign licences presented as enough
Some sites display a licence from another regulator, such as the Malta Gaming Authority or a Curaçao authority. A foreign licence may be legitimate in its own jurisdiction, but it does not permit a site to serve customers in Great Britain. Only a UKGC licence does.
Badges without links
A UKGC logo that does not link anywhere, or links to a generic page, proves nothing. Always check the register directly.
No UKGC licence means no UK protections. GAMSTOP, stake limits, the wagering cap and ADR all stop at the edge of the UK licensing system. If a site serving British players does not hold a UKGC licence, none of them apply.
Check what the licence does not tell you
The register confirms that a company is licensed and shows its record. It does not rate the casino’s games, payout speed or customer service. For those, compare licensed sites on withdrawal times, bonus terms and limit tools. Our withdrawal guide and bonus guide cover those areas.
Understand white-label casinos
Some casino brands are run on a platform owned by a separate licensed company, an arrangement often called white label. The brand you see has its own name and design, but the licence belongs to the platform company, which is responsible for compliance. On the register, the brand’s domain appears under that company’s licence. This is a legitimate model; just make sure the domain you are using is listed.
Licence check questions
Is a Gibraltar or Isle of Man licence enough? Not on its own. Operators based there still need a UKGC licence to serve customers in Great Britain.
What if the register is unclear? Contact the casino and ask which licence covers the site, then check that answer against the register.
Does a licence guarantee fast payouts? No. It guarantees a regulator and a dispute route, not service quality.
Repeat the check from time to time
Licences can be suspended or surrendered. If you keep an account open for a long period, check the register again occasionally, particularly if you see news about the operator or if the site’s terms change significantly. If a licence lapses, withdraw your balance.
Use the other checks alongside the register
- Funds protection: the casino’s terms should state whether your balance is not protected, or held with medium or high protection.
- ADR provider: the complaints policy should name it.
- Game testing: games should display RTP in their help screens.
- Safer gambling tools: deposit limits, reality checks and time-outs should be easy to find.
Save a record of what you checked
When you open an account, take a screenshot of the casino’s footer and the matching register entry. It takes seconds, and if a dispute arises later, you have evidence of the licence the site was operating under when you joined.
Report an unlicensed site
If you come across a site targeting British players without a UKGC licence, you can report it to the Gambling Commission through its website. You do not need to have used the site to make a report.
Checking a licence protects your money. If you need to protect yourself from gambling altogether, GAMSTOP blocks every UKGC-licensed online gambling site for six months, one year or five years, free of charge. The National Gambling Helpline is on 0808 8020 133, 24/7.