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For example, high and medium risk accounts placed 37.4% of stakes over £10, which given only 2.4% of players were flagged as medium or high risk highlights their overrepresentation among high stakers. Nonetheless, accounts flagged as high and medium risk account for a greater proportion of stakes in higher value staking bands. However, some operators pointed out that while the spins at higher levels are relatively uncommon, individual players often vary their stakes. Among respondents outside of industry, there was a broad consensus that stake limits on slots are needed.

The maximum annual fee for an adult gaming centre (arcade) is £1,000 in England and Wales, and £700 in Scotland. For example, the maximum annual fee for a large casino is £10,000 in England and Wales, and £7,500 in Scotland. Licensing fees vary by premises type. Therefore, the proposals set out in this chapter will only apply to licensing authorities in England and Wales.

If a site looks “UK-friendly” but dodges licensing, it’s also dodging the obligations that come with it. A lot of today’s changes trace back to the Gambling Act review and the wider reform programme aimed at modernising rules for a digital gambling market. Eventually, these laws were repealed and the country embraced legal gambling. Poorer citizens conducted street gambling, and while this was illegal, enforcement was difficult to administer. However, on-course betting was permitted at horse tracks, but only the upper class could partake. Parliament issued the Gaming Act of 1845 and Betting Act of 1853, both of which effectively ceased all commercial gambling.

We will not accept licensees simply stating that GDPR means that they are unable to comply with an aspect of gambling regulation, or otherwise take certain steps to protect the public interest. Thorough consideration of transparency requirements will also assist data subjects, and assist data controllers to demonstrate compliance with obligations relating to accountability. We do not anticipate that the need for such measures will cause a significant barrier to complying with gambling regulation.

Figure 4: ‘Indicators of harm’ online operators are required to monitor and example constituent indicators

We do not believe that a 10% increase is sufficient to future-proof licensing authority funding in line with the recovery of the land-based sector from the challenges of COVID-19 and rising energy prices in recent years. Increased fees will enable licensing authorities to undertake more enforcement and engagement activities with licensed premises. We believe that on balance an increase to the maximum cap on premises licence fees by 15% is proportionate. A low number of premises visits may also be indicative of the lack of funding received by licensing authorities to fully undertake duties, such as inspections, alongside other administrative and enforcement functions. However, premises visits are only one aspect of a licensing authorities regulatory work. A number of these responses acknowledged the financial pressures placed on licensing authorities, which was reflected by the substantial number of industry responses that advocated for a 10% increase.

• As the main commissioner of treatment services, GambleAware continues to provide support and treatment covering a wide spectrum of need outside of severe cases of gambling-related harm and addiction seen through the specialist NHS clinics.
• As set out in section 1.3, the Gambling Commission will be looking at online product design rules, which may include consideration of the rules around concurrent play of multiple products.
• However, it should be noted that respondents were most likely to have spent their own money on types of gambling activity that are legal or do not feature age restricted products, such as penny pusher or claw grab arcade games.

Fees payable vary depending on the type of activity involved and the scale of the operation, reflecting the different risks they pose. Its core functions are to ensure that only those suitable to hold such licences are granted them, to ensure that those with active licences comply with all the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), and to take enforcement measures where a licensee fails to meet these high standards. The Gambling Commission is the lead regulator for commercial gambling in Great Britain (as gambling is devolved in Northern Ireland).

As the SI sets out, all games which meet the definition of an online slots game will be subject to a maximum stake per game cycle. “game cycle” means, for an online slots game, the period beginning with the initiation of a game by the individual and ending at the point at which all money staked during the game has been lost or all money won during the game has been delivered to or made available for collection by the individual as the case may be. (2) The condition is that, for an online slots game, the total amount which an individual may stake in relation to any game cycle may not exceed— We can also assess a licensee’s ongoing suitability to hold a relevant license, particularly if there is evidence of misconduct abroad and that does include in Northern Ireland. Added link to 2026 edition of the Gambling Commission’s Money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment. Read our guidance for information on operator LCCP requirements, including how these can be implemented in practice.

Permitted activities with the right licence

The firm’s commitment to excellence is underscored by its numerous accolades, including awards for ‘Future of Legal Services’ and ‘Best Use of Technology.’ The firm has also consistently received recognition as the UK Copyright Firm of the Year by Managing Intellectual Property and achieved top-tier rankings in media and entertainment by Chambers and Partners. The firm has established several spin-off ventures and solutions that leverage its expertise in media, technology and IP, including  Incopro, Overmorrow, Curio, Kritic, Viewfinder, Wiggin Data Services and IR35 Manager. Wiggin distinguishes itself by anticipating future trends and their potential impact on clients’ businesses.The firm has successfully campaigned for significant industry changes, such as the extension of the UK Film Tax Credit and mitigation of the impact of IR35 changes on the media sector. Wiggin is a UK-based full-service law firm, headquartered in London, with a dedicated focus on media, technology and intellectual property (IP) matters. It is also worth noting that, in recent months, the Gambling Commission issued an “Industry Warning Notice” to those B2B operators that it has licensed after observing that certain games developed by such licensees appear accessible to British consumers on B2C websites that are not licensed by the Commission.

With regard to casinos that currently operate with a gambling area of 1500sqm or more, these casinos will be permitted to remain open with their current gambling area. When asked about the reduction in minimum table gaming area in Small 2005 Act casinos from 500sqm to 250sqm, more respondents were in favour of this being applied than opposed. A fairly even number of respondents were for and against the 12.5% rule applying for 1968 Act casinos, whereby any table gaming area would only count towards the minimum table gaming area if it constitutes 12.5% or more of the total table gaming area in the venue. Any 1968 Act casinos that wish to remain on the existing regime will be able to do so and are not required to adjust their product offering (unless they decide to take up the opportunity to offer facilities for betting). Feedback from engagement with operators has indicated that the sliding scale as proposed would benefit the majority of casinos, with over 80% of casinos estimated to benefit depending on how floor space is reconfigured.

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?

The LCCP imposes extensive obligations upon licensees in, amongst others, the fields of social responsibility, anti-money laundering and the prevention of terrorist financing, consumer fairness and transparency, responsible advertising and obligations to comply with various technical standards that apply in respect of both non-remote and remote forms of gambling. It is important to note that this instrument does not extend to Northern Ireland, where legislation based on the Gaming Act 1968 (namely the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985 (as amended by the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022)) continues to apply. Local authorities (for Premises Licences).Sports/horse race betting (if regulated separately to other forms of betting)As above.As above.Fantasy betting (payment to back a ‘league’ or ‘portfolio’ selection over a period of time, for example in relation to sport)As above.As above.LotteriesLotteriesThe Gambling Commission.The Gambling Commission (for Operating Licences). It is free to use and one of the most effective responsible gambling tools available to UK players.

Guides and information for helping you protect your money and understanding your rights when gambling. You can find more information about safer gambling at the following websites. We also work with other regulators, charities and organisations to understand gambling habits and trends, promote safer gambling practices, and ensure that gambling is safe. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling-related problems, contact the National Gambling or NHS Wales Helplines (opens in new tab). Get help, advice and information on how to use tools that manage your gambling activity.

Premier League clubs will still be able to maintain other forms of gambling sponsorship, such as in stadiums, providing it adheres to existing rules on social responsibility and provisions in the forthcoming sponsorship Code of Conduct. We welcome this step taken by the League, which will reduce children’s exposure to gambling logos, particularly when reproduced in children’s products such as stickers and video games, and will help to break the association children may form between gambling brands and their role models on the pitch. In line with changes to the advertising rules, the Premier League has agreed that from the end of the 25/26 season gambling logos will no longer appear on the front of players’ shirts. However, we recognise that sports sponsorship remains an environment where children may be exposed to gambling brands. A commitment only to accept sponsorship from firms operating under licence from the Gambling Commission. A proportion of sponsorship inventory to be used for dedicated safer gambling messaging, compliant with the programme of work at section 2.4 of this chapter.

Under the point-of-consumption approach, overseas operators whose remote facilities are used in Great Britain, with knowledge or constructive knowledge, must either become UKGC-licensed or prevent access from Great Britain to avoid committing an offence. The next sections cover when the licence requirement triggers, the categories of remote licence available, and what the application process actually involves. The UKGC is the independent regulator of commercial gambling in Great Britain. In late 2025, the UKGC announced further alignment of the LCCP with the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, including updates to consumer protection references and ADR-related changes. Finance Act 2014 and related duty legislation reformed several gambling duties to apply on a place-of-consumption basis for remote activity, which interacts with the regulatory regime by increasing fiscal incentives to monitor Great Britain-facing remote operations.

Every casino below is real-money tested, UKGC-verified, and rated across 7 criteria. A further casino guidance update to reflect the upcoming changes under The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 (opens in new tab) will be published in due course. Yes, but new rules as of January 2026 ban “mixed incentives.” This means a casino cannot require you to bet on sports to get slot spins.

Encouraging further industry innovation within the current framework is unlikely to achieve meaningful progress due to limitations with meeting wider consumer preferences. Consumer preferences therefore indicate that cashless would need to complement, rather than replace, cash as a gambling payment method. 45% of respondents would not be happy at all to pay for gambling via cashless payment methods. 77% felt that cashless makes it easier to spend more on gambling than intended, and 66% said that using cashless payment methods made it feel like they are spending less money than they actually are.

The minimum legal gambling age is 18 for every product except the National Lottery and equivalent society lottery draws, where the minimum is 16. The thresholds below are the headline LCCP triggers; individual operators may layer stricter internal rules on top. These are sometimes called “affordability checks” in the press but the Commission now uses the terms financial vulnerability and financial risk. The 2023 White Paper proposed maximum online slot stakes of £2 per spin for 18–24-year-olds and £5 per spin for players 25 and over.

Protections for this group will be increased, for instance through earlier interventions to assess financial risks, and structural controls such as a lower stake limit for online slots games. This will create a clear distinction between gambling products for adults and lower risk products accessible to children (such as crane grabbers or coin pushers) which have non-cash prizes or are entirely unlike an adult gambling product. We will also give legislative backing to the current voluntary measures preventing the use of Category D cash out slot machines by under 18s. We nonetheless challenge other providers to adopt this precautionary measure, so that there is no online or widely and easily accessible gambling for under 18s. We expect all operators to take steps to offer appropriate redress to customers where needed and if the ombudsman does not attract sufficient cooperation or deliver the protections as we expect, we will legislate to put its position beyond doubt.

Gambling Commission Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice already contain requirements in both the land-based and online sectors that information about the odds of winning is disclosed to players of certain games at the point of purchase. We recognise that expanding adtech targeting commitments to paid-for space may make it harder to reach some potential customers but paid-for online advertising will still be permitted alongside many other routes to attracting customers, such as broadcast or appropriately targeted social media advertising. For those who are struggling with harmful gambling, we want to make it as straightforward as possible to opt out of gambling content and advertising, and to close the gaps that mean that individuals who have self-excluded can still be targeted by gambling ads. Children’s advertising exposure and their ability to engage with operators’ content should decrease at the same time as the most recent reforms to the CAP code reduce the potential appeal of gambling content to children. We believe these proposals will result in an online advertising environment that is safer for children and vulnerable people, while still allowing operators to continue to engage with key audiences.

Alongside the harm to the individual, gambling-related harms can have negative impacts on other people and wider communities. Due to a lack of longitudinal evidence the PHE report did not establish causal relationships with non gamstop these other health harms, or in the case of mental health issues, found that relationships appeared to go in both directions. It is also important to recognise that problems with gambling can be one of a number of harms individuals suffer simultaneously; for instance while gambling addiction can impact mental health and wellbeing, poor mental health and heavy alcohol use are commonly suffered alongside gambling harms. For instance, PHE’s evidence review found that the problem gambling rate is 0.3% among graduates, compared to 1.0% for people with no qualifications, and is around three times higher among unemployed people (2.1%) than employed people (0.7%). In a recent pilot for a new approach to collecting data on population problem gambling rates, the Commission found the sample surveyed had a higher problem gambling prevalence rate of 1.3%, although this is an experimental rather than official statistic and the methodology is still being refined. Figures may also have been impacted by the recent fall in gambling participation or other behaviour changes linked to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including the unavailability of some gambling activities.

As it stands there is no limit on bets for online slots whereas in-person slot machines in pubs, arcades, bookmakers have a limit of £2 and casinos have limits of up to £5. The white paper will support the ‘land-based’ gambling sector including casinos, arcades and bingo halls, while maintaining safeguards to protect vulnerable groups. So we are stepping in to update the law for those most at risk of harm with a new levy on gambling operators to pay for treatment and education, player protection checks and new online slots stake limits. This includes online casinos, sports betting, software providers, and land-based venues. Rawa Kaftan is a regulatory lawyer in Wiggin’s Betting & Gaming team and advises key stakeholders in the gambling industry, including many of the world’s largest online B2C operators, software suppliers, payment service providers and investors. Suppliers of gambling machines made available for use in land-based environments similarly need to obtain their own licence.