UK Gambling Laws 2026, Regulations For Gambling In The UK

According to a study submitted by the British Horseracing Authority as part of the call for evidence, the racing industry has direct revenues in excess of £1.47 billion and makes a total annual contribution to the UK economy (including induced effects) of £4.1 billion. However, money could also go into activities not taxed in the UK (including overseas payments and the informal economy) and some could go into the gambling black market, where illegal operators do not pay taxes and have weaker player protections. We expect that the increase in Category B machines in licensed bingo premises to meet consumer demand is likely to increase GGY. Given the reported excess supply of Category C and D machines currently, we do not expect that the removal of machines will materially reduce GGY or restrict the ability of customers to use the machines they want to. Within this reduction, we account for an increase in the number of higher stake Category B machines in licensed bingo premises to meet consumer demand.

Several operators claim they are holding on to players longer because clearer rules and a safer environment build trust. Public-health groups mostly cheer the rules, but many operators say the new tech adds cost and shakes up tried-and-true business models. Larger operators are now pooling resources in head office compliance units and leaning on automated identity checks to keep up with the rising paperwork.

We propose to align the lifting of the prohibition on direct debit card payments on gaming machines and the introduction of player protections within regulations with the Gambling Commission’s review of the Gaming Machine Technical Standards. Under the current rules, there is a risk that operators entering the market might use in-fills and tablets to account for the totality of their Category C and D offer while offering Category B machines exclusively on more popular cabinet machines. By contrast, Option 2(a) would likely increase the numbers of Category B cabinets in a similar proportion to Option 1, while safeguarding against the possible scenario in which Category B machines become the only cabinet gaming machines offered. The concern raised was that any variation of Option 2 would be damaging to tablet gaming machine manufacturers as this would likely lead to vast numbers of these machines being removed by operators. These responses primarily came from small businesses who supplied tablet gaming machines to the market.

We anticipate that the majority of data which licensees process for regulatory purposes (such as data on customer transactions) will not be special category data. There are additional requirements where the personal data which is to be processed constitutes “special category” data, or data relating to criminal convictions and offences. This may be the case even where the need to process data in this way is not specifically set out by a licence condition, if the processing is realistically necessary in order to achieve the aim of the condition2.

All casinos listed on Accord Global hold active UKGC licences. The UK government has increased Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) from 21% to 40% of gross gambling yield for online operators. UKGC-licensed casinos can no longer offer autoplay functionality or turbo-spin (accelerated spin) features on online slots.

Protection of Children and Young Persons

Some individual operators have also voluntarily introduced bespoke protections for this group in other areas. In 2021, the Betting and Gaming Council introduced a code of conduct for VIP schemes, which included additional checks before enrolling customers aged 18 to 24 onto schemes, for example requiring review by the holder of a Gambling Commission Personal Management Licence. A recent cross-sectional research study found an association between suicide attempts in 16 to 24-year-olds and problem gambling, even after adjustment for other factors.

This chapter of the consultation received 40 responses, primarily from licensing authorities and gambling operators. We received detailed evidence through the consultation process outlining the impacts which increased fees would have on both the ability of licensing authorities to undertake their duties, and the commercial pressures placed on operators. A central component of allowing the land-based gambling sector to develop sustainably is to ensure that it is well regulated and that customers are protected. Many of the measures proposed within this consultation are modernising measures which are intended to support the land-based gambling industry to thrive sustainably. While some of the other proposals put forward to ensure no under-18s play these types of machines were sensible, we do not think it is proportionate to mandate any of these measures due to the lower risk nature of this product.

Online casinos, for example, must prevent underage gambling, display the return-to-player (RTP) percentages for all games, and promote fair and responsible gambling. This includes poker, roulette, blackjack, and other casino games, as well as online slot games.” In addition, all online casinos must use software from suppliers that hold a license from the Gambling Commission. Now, all firms that wish to advertise and provide gambling services to customers based in the UK must obtain a license from the UK. All other machines, namely Categories A, B, and C (including Category B3A lottery-style machines), are restricted to those aged 18 and over. Online casino operators are required to carry out age and identity verification procedures (updated in 2019) for all newly registered customers. It also regulates the remote gambling sector, which includes online bookmakers, bingo sites, and casino websites.

There is extensive gambling regulation in Great Britain, mostly imposed upon licensees by the various conditions and codes of practice attached to their gambling licences, which are colloquially referred to as the “Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice” or “LCCP”. This instrument brought the British system into line with various of the European so-called “regulated markets”, where the requirement to obtain a licence for that market and account for gambling duty extends to remote providers of gambling outside the jurisdiction. This so-called “point-of-supply” legislative scheme was reversed (in the case of remote gambling) by the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014, which converted the British system into a so-called “point-of-consumption” regime, which criminalised any person in any jurisdiction who makes available facilities for gambling to British players on a remote basis without British licences. Originally the Gambling Act 2005 applied only to those persons who had a physical connection with Great Britain; for example, land-based gambling businesses located in Great Britain or items of remote gambling equipment located in Great Britain. If you need support, our responsible gambling UK guide lists free resources including GamCare and BeGambleAware.

Based on our experience of investigations to date, licensees should ensure that data which relates in any way to regulatory compliance should be available for a minimum period of five years after the end of a relationship with a customer. Licensees should ensure that their retention policies ensure that such data will be available to the Commission if requested6. Where data which is relevant to a licensee’s compliance with the regulatory regime has been obtained, licensees should have regard to the fact that we may wish to investigate whether a licensee has complied with their obligations.

As part of the arrangements for allocating existing 2005 Act licences, where more than one operator wanted to develop a casino, local authorities were able to take into account the financial contribution of operators towards regeneration and harm prevention. Increased machine allowances across the casino estate will bring commercial benefits to casino operators, and allow them to compete on a more equitable footing with online operators. We estimate around 50 casinos smaller than the 2005 Act Small casino would also be able to benefit from increased machine allowances, proportionate to their size and non-gambling space. 1968 Act casinos which do not meet these size requirements will also be able to benefit from extra machines on a pro rata basis commensurate with their size.

Currently, both types of slot-style machines can legally be played by under-18s. ‘Cash-out’ slot-style machines have a maximum stake of 10p and a maximum prize of £5, while ‘ticket-out’ slot-style machines have a maximum stake of 30p and an equivalent of a prize worth up to £8. There are two types of Category D slot-style machines, one that pays out a small amount of cash, and one that pays out tickets which can be exchanged for a small prize, toy or sweet. Category D machines are typically played by families and children and are usually found in seaside arcades, family entertainment centres (FECs) and unlicensed FECs.

Age Verification Standards

Licensees should consider whether processing of such data is for a permissible purpose, such as it being necessary in the public interest and/or a regulatory requirement. Licensees should also consider to what extent data subject rights, such as the right to erasure and right not to be subject to automated decision-making, may not apply given the relevant lawful basis. Continue to obtain and retain information which is sufficient to satisfy them that underage gambling is not taking place2. Licensees gather and retain personal information on customers in order to enable them to enter into and perform contracts, whilst taking into account their regulatory obligations. Operators should take into account that we may need to obtain such data even after an account has closed in order to establish whether or not a licensee has complied with its regulatory obligations. Licensees should consider what retention period is necessary for any data obtained and processed for self-exclusion or anti-money laundering purposes (whether also obtained for other purposes).

Branded ‘safer gambling’ ad spots containing calls to action such as ‘enjoy award-winning online casino safely’ were also heavily criticised. Most responses to our call for evidence agreed that awareness-raising campaigns have a role to play in mitigating gambling-related harms, but there was a lack of consensus on the most appropriate way to design and implement them. However, this effect was more pronounced amongst participants not at risk of gambling-related harms, and those in the ‘moderate risk’ and ‘problem gambler’ categories had significantly lower comprehension scores overall. It was also suggested that point of purchase messaging could also be used to communicate a wider range of risks including potential health harms. However, many respondents to our call for evidence thought this was inadequate to ensure informed consumption of potentially risky gambling products, particularly high volatility slots games. In addition, the distinct responsibilities and activities of affiliates would require an entirely new licensing regime to be created; and the size of the sector means that it would distort the Commission’s remit, which concentrates on gambling operators themselves.

• When Parliamentary time allows, we will also make some small changes to the 2005 Act to ensure that certain powers apply to authorities and/or licensing officers in Scotland as they do in England and Wales.
• This is consistent with the intention of the 2005 Act to create destination venues with a balanced offer of gaming products and other leisure activities.
• Gaining access to gambling from 18 years of age also coincides with an important developmental and social period in many adolescents’ lives, typically characterised by new freedoms and responsibilities, such as starting university, getting a job, living independently, and/or managing money for the first time.
• The casino bonus is reasonable rather than headline-grabbing (100% up to £300 plus 100 free spins, 10x wagering).
• In their submissions to the review, representatives of the pub sector outlined a number of steps they are taking to address this, including regular staff training and building age verification into the machines themselves to reduce the reliance on staff supervision.
• Our intention is that these measures will directly address the advertising and marketing practices that are most strongly linked to harm.

All UK licensed online casinos and sportsbooks are mandated to perform anti-money laundering checks, and mental and financial welfare checks on their customers. All forms of online gambling are licensed by the Gambling Commission and therefore can be legally provided in the country under a licence from the commission. Liberal Democrat politicians called for a complete ban on sports betting and online casinos sponsorships in high-level UK sports competitions such as the English Premier League. We ourselves are not casino operators, do not offer any real-money games on our website, and cannot be held liable for the financial risks readers take when participating in real-money gambling activities. The remote casino operating license allows operators “to offer casino games to customers via a website, mobile phone, TV or other online service.

Other London casinos also use this method, with one reporting that in a typical year, 48% of overall money exchanged for chips is accepted via international cheques. For the purposes of this assessment, we assume that 15% to 30% of revenue constrained by slots limits is spent on other online casino games instead. These include extending session length (to stake the same total amount), spending on different products, migrating to products in the land-based sector, ceasing gambling in the licensed sector altogether, or adjusting staking patterns. Checks will be mandatory across all operators (so customers cannot entirely avoid them by using a different operator as they might at present). This differs significantly from the present experience reported by some individual operators where they suggest the majority of their GGY above enhanced check thresholds is lost due to high non-compliance with the data requests.

These organisations generally made targeted submissions which concentrated on single aspects of the call for evidence and gambling policy which overlap with their interests. The next biggest category of respondents was Parliamentary stakeholders, including both Parliamentary groups and individual members of both houses. Most of the substantive evidence, information and data provided to the Review was included in the 404 submissions which were prepared in response to the call for evidence and sent directly to DCMS. To the extent that some gambling harms are more prevalent within certain protected characteristics (e.g. young people and potentially certain ethnic groups) and also among socio-economically deprived groups, our proposals to reduce harm should have a positive equalities impact. Young men aged 16 to 24 and 25 to 34 are more likely to experience both problem and at-risk gambling behaviours than other cohorts. Male online gamblers spent on average 81% more than females, and according to the PHE evidence review, men are more likely to be problem gamblers (0.8%) than women (0.1%).

While this is certainly a reasonable belief to hold, the Financial Conduct Authority is responsible for spread betting. Many British bettors incorrectly assume that spread betting is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. All gambling business must use an approved alternate dispute resolution body to handle unresolved player complaints. The Commission offers guides on gambling safety, consumer rights, and other pertinent topics.

For higher-risk play, it means the system is increasingly designed to slow things down, ask more questions, and intervene earlier. Fairness and compliance still come back to licensing—because a regulated operator is the one that can be held accountable for game integrity, complaints handling, and consumer protection. Age and identity checks are still a standard part of UK online play, and they aren’t optional if you’re using a properly licensed operator. Most players won’t see the levy directly on-screen, but you will see the ripple effects through a stronger emphasis on safer gambling messaging and more formal funding routes for national support services. The levy commenced in April 2025, with operators required to pay into it by October each year. The reform era isn’t just about gameplay it’s also about how gambling brands talk to you.

One operator-led submission to our call for evidence suggested that 25% of people reduced their gambling expenditure after setting a deposit limit, compared to 6% who increased their gambling. As outlined in section 1.1 above, online gamblers already have access to a range of tools to help them control their time and money spent gambling and there are rules governing their use (for instance deposit limit increases must take at least 24 hours to come into effect). Morgan Stanley and NERA Economic Consulting have respectively estimated a sites not on gamstop £2 fixed limit on online slots would reduce online slot GGY by 22% and 23%, but some of this could be displaced to other online gaming products.

Cryptocurrencies facilitate faster transactions, appealing to tech-savvy customers and ensuring smoother payment processes. Blockchain technology and cryptocurrency add layers of transparency and security to the industry. Players seek convenient access, leading to the proliferation of apps and platforms offering seamless gaming experiences. Introducing stricter regulations, including meticulous age and identity verification, complicates compliance. Staying informed about these changes is crucial for adapting to the industry’s future dynamics. The evolving landscape of casino regulation in the UK presents significant changes and challenges for entrepreneurs and businesses in the sector.

Therefore, venues such as pubs and members’ clubs will not be impacted by any increases to premises licence fees. The fees payable for gaming machine notifications and gaming machine permits are not in scope of this review. Licensing authorities have an important regulatory role alongside the Gambling Commission in licensing local premises. Should it be a criminal offence for a person to invite, cause or permit children or young persons to play on these machines?

Is Card Counting Illegal in the UK? (Casino Rules)

8.9% of respondents felt that their gambling had ‘at least some of the time’ caused financial problems for them or their household. This has led the regulator and many others to conclude that more prescriptive requirements are needed to strengthen protections for customers and set clear expectations for companies. Nonetheless, this is a potentially concerning pattern in a sector with a known addiction risk, and where a key manifestation of that addiction is high spending. The range of estimates submitted to our call for evidence suggest that (ignoring accounts which net win), around a quarter of Gross Gambling Yield is derived from 1% of accounts, approximately 60% comes from the highest spending 5%, and around 75% from the top 10%, although this varies by product. This distribution means that operator revenue is predominantly derived from a relatively small cohort of high spending customers.

We do not want to restrict operators’ ability to use offers to attract new customers or retain existing ones, and acknowledge that ‘blunt’ measures in this area could unintentionally benefit the black market. The Gambling Commission will consult on setting higher standards for operators in obtaining all customers’ consent to direct marketing and promotional offers. A recent behavioural audit of 10 popular online operators also found that when a new account is created, half of the operators automatically sign the individual up to other brands or products owned by the operator’s parent company. There are already clear requirements that operators must seek informed and specific consent to send direct marketing to consumers, as well as requirements that direct marketing must not be sent to those who have self-excluded or are showing strong signs of harm. The combination of high re-wagering requirements and tight time limits to claim winnings poses clear risks in terms of creating a sense of urgency to gamble, incentivising high-intensity play and potentially gambling more than one had originally planned to.

Its proceeds will be ring-fenced for funding for research, education and treatment, including through the NHS. As it stands not all betting companies pay their fair share and some have paid as little as £1. The first statutory gambling operator levy will replace the current voluntary levy which is not fit for purpose.

The lack of direct cashless payment methods on gaming machines contrasts with the cashless options that consumers have within the wider retail economy. Gaming machines are currently permitted in a variety of locations and divided into various categories based on factors such as maximum stake and prize available, as well as the premises where they may be used. As they are an extension of card payment, the direct use of contactless mobile systems such as Google Pay or Apple Pay on gaming machines is also prohibited. The Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) Regulations 2007 prohibit the use of debit cards for direct payments to gaming machines, and prohibit any use of credit cards. What impact would Options 1, 2 and 3 have on the overall number of Category B, C and D gaming machines?

This mainly extended to random number-generated casino games, but a few submissions argued that betting should also be included. However, a case has been made that the unlimited stakes on online slots play are particularly problematic due to the nature of slots play and its increasing popularity as seen in the monthly operator data collected by the Gambling Commission since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the structural characteristics discussed above, stake size can be a key determinant of losses and gambling-related harm. However, the new rules will strive to make games intrinsically safer across the sector, while leaving space for operators to continue innovating and developing games which customers want to play. Longer-term, Gambling Commission changes to the prevalence and participation methodology will provide a more detailed assessment of problem gambling trends across the online slot player cohort to support evaluation.