UK Bookmakers – Responsible Gambling & Licensing Guide 2025
Online gambling can be safe when you use licensed operators that follow strict safety and security measures. In the UK, it’s the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission) which regulates gambling sites for fair play, financial protection and responsible gambling policies under the Gambling Act of 2005. The commission provides licenses to operators it deems safe to play at and ensures that they follow its stringent regulations to protect users.
We recommend that you always check if a betting site is safe by looking for a UKGC licence number at the bottom of their homepage.
To find out more about how you can keep yourself safe under the rules and regulations of the UK Gambling Commission and what kind of responsible gambling tools may be available to you, read our full guide below.
What is the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)?
The UK Gambling Commission is an executive, non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom which is responsible for regulating gambling and shaping gaming law in Great Britain.
The main aims of the Commission are to minimise crime within gambling, and help protect those who are vulnerable from being exploited. To achieve their goals the UKGC issues licenses to operators and advises the government on gambling-related issues. It also works with the police when it is believed that illegal gambling is taking place.
Licensing is a key part of the regulation process, requiring operators to file for specific gambling licenses before they can run legally in the UK. After an operator has successfully acquired a licence they will be monitored to ensure that they act in accordance with the regulatory requirements stipulated in the Gambling Act.
If an operator is found to be acting outside the regulations, the commission will have the authority to reprimand them. This is typically done via warnings, imposing of fines, suspension of gambling activities or ultimately the revocation of the operator’s licence. The UKGC has an intelligence department which investigates and collects information about operators to help justify their claims.
Types of UK Gambling Licenses
There are three main types of licenses which are handed out by the UKGC: operating, personal and premises. Let’s take a look at each one and who they apply to.
Operating Licenses
An operating licence is required to provide facilities for remote gambling (online or through other means), and advertise to consumers in Great Britain. This includes arcades, bingo halls, sportsbooks, casinos, lotteries, or gambling software. There are three different types of operating licenses: Non-remote, Remote and Ancillary
Non-remote licenses are provided to operators which facilitate betting activities at physical locations such as betting shops, race tracks, and other brick-and-mortar venues. Remote licenses refer to permits which allow for the providing of casino games and other gambling products through an online platform. Ancillary licences are issued to operators which offer telephone or email betting services.
Personal Licenses
Personal licenses are required by individuals who conduct gambling activities at licensed gambling operators. Example: a dealer at a casino or marketing manager at an gambling site. Only individuals who are over the age of 18 can apply for personal licenses.
There are two main types of personal licenses: a Personal Management License and a Personal Functional License. Personal Management licenses are for individuals occupying management positions in a gambling company which is applying for an operating license in the UK. Personal Functional licenses are needed for key individuals performing a functional but non-management role in a gambling organization.
Premises Licences
Premise licenses must be acquired from local licensing authorities to run a premises-based gambling business, like a betting shop, bingo hall or arcade. The local licensing authority will typically be the local council for the area. An operator will need to have applied for an operating licence from the UKGC before you apply for a premises licence.
Licenses For Remote Gambling Operators
When it comes to remote gambling, the UKGC now requires that any operator which advertises their services in England, Wales, or Scotland, but are based outside the country, need to obtain a licence. This rule came into effect via the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014. Prior to the Act, an operator in one of the whitelisted gambling jurisdictions could advertise their services in Great Britain without requiring a separate license from the Commission.
How UKGC Licensing Works
In order for an operator to receive a licence from the UKGC they must adhere to the rules and conditions set out in the Licence Conditions & Codes of Practice (LCCP). The LCCP is divided into three parts: Operating Licence Conditions, Code of Practice Provisions and Personal Licence Conditions.
Each of the sections lay out a number of provisions which must be met by qualifying operators who wish to legally run in the UK. The provisions deal with a variety of subjects, including responsible gambling safeguards, restrictions on marketing and advertising, anti-money laundering and resolution of complaints and disputes. Note that the LCCP is not static, the UKGC is constantly making amendments and additions to take account of developments in the industry.
The application process for a UKGC gambling licence typically takes around 4 months. The exact period will depend on the license type applied for and the complexity of the application.
When applying the commission will ask for identity and policy documents as well as the financial documents and other information about key people. They will also perform an extensive investigation, which includes a background check, financial probe and due diligence on all related business activity. Licenses will only be awarded to operators who meet all the licensing standards and conditions set in place by the commission.
Even after an operator obtains a licence they will still need to adhere to compliance mechanisms and periodic audits. The commission can also enforce any provisions from the LCCP, imposing fines and suspending licenses if they find infractions.
If you’d like to know if your bookmaker is licensed by the commission, check out the UKGC register to Check Your Operator here.
What are the objectives of licensing?
Some of the key objectives of licensing outlined by the UKGC can be found in the following section:
- Prevention of Crime and Money Laundering – The Commission’s licensing, compliance and enforcement processes have been designed to prevent gambling from being a source of crime or disorder. Only suitable applicants with clean sheets will be granted operating licences or personal licences.
- Ensure Fair & Open Operations – The Commission expects gambling to be conducted fairly and that the rules are transparent to players and they know what to expect. This is done by enforcing stringent rules that make easily understandable information that is readily available mandatory. The Commission will also ensure that appropriate advertising codes are in place to prevent consumers from being misled.
- Protect Vulnerable Groups – The Commission makes sure that gambling operators cannot be accessed by vulnerable groups like children. Operators will also be required to adhere to responsible gambling guidelines, protecting people who spend more money and time gambling than they want or people who gamble beyond their means.
The enforcement of licensing objectives takes place through multiple processes. For example, enforcing KYC ensures that children will not be able to register at licensed gambling operators. RNG fairness checking and rules for promotional banners are some other ways that the commission can keep operators in check.
Safer Gambling & Responsible Play
Responsible gambling or safer gambling are social responsibility initiatives endorsed by government regulators and operators that ensure the promotion of awareness to the harms associated with gambling.
There are a number of responsible gambling safeguards and requirements which are required by the UKGC from all licenced bookmakers, including:
- Self Assessment Tests – Usually a simple test which gives you insight into your gaming behavior to see if you are at risk of over-gambling.
- Deposit Limits – limitations on the amount which can be deposited into a betting account within a given time period. Can be daily, weekly or monthly.
- Time Reminders – a reminder which appears on a user’s screen when they have been logged in for a specific amount of time. Used to help players keep their time spent on gambling sites in check.
- Self Exclusion – allows players to put their account on temporary hiatus. Self exclusion can be for between 6 months to 5 years and will typically require written consent after the allotted period for reinstatement.
- Activity Statements – A periodic statement which provides players with a clear overview of their gambling expenditure, wins, and losses.
Check our review on how we rate sports bookmakers in the UK.
Third Party Links
The UKGC also requires that all operators provide third party links and resources relating to safe gambling, such as GamCare and GAMSTOP.
GamCare is a leading provider of information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling harms that operates the National Gambling Helpline for the UK. GAMSTOP is a free self-exclusion service that helps prevent users from using gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed in Great Britain.
If you’d like to make sure you don’t gamble more than you want to, we recommend trying out the following helpful tips:
- Set budgets – It’s important to always make sure that you are gambling with money that you can afford to lose. To ensure that the funds you are using are non-essential we recommended setting up a budget or bankroll which you stick to. The budget can be for a specific time period or your entire gambling bankroll.
- Take Breaks – You should always try to take breaks when betting to reduce your exposure to over-gambling. This will help you stop chasing lost funds and allow you to reset your frame of mind.
Operator Responsibilities and Best Practices
There are certain responsibilities which are put on operators to help players keep themselves from gambling above their means. Operators are asked to monitor accounts and keep an eye out for over-gambling and risky behavior. They must then contact the customer, if an issue is detected, and provide them with information to help remedy the situation or in some cases, set up restrictions or an account ban.
Try to look for operators which are part of the RG Check Accreditation Program, an independent body which helps sites evaluate their safe gambling practices. The program is known for providing rigorous safeguards that protect players and fosters a sustainable player base.
Typically a licensed operator will point customers towards third party help and support links like GAMSTOP, GamCare and NatWest Gambling Blockers.
One of the newest practices brought into the responsible gambling space by the UKGC is financial vulnerability checks. Financial vulnerability checks are simple checks which use publicly available information to identify red flags and financial vulnerability of customers. These checks are usually conducted when a customer’s net loss is more than £125 within a 30-day period or £500+ in a 365-day period.
What Players Can Do
As mentioned above, players also have the ability to use a number of tools provided by UKGC licensed gambling operators. These include deposit/loss limits, time-outs and self exclusion and reality checks. Players will also have the ability to activate third party blockers like GAMSTOP which will stop them from viewing or accessing licensed gambling sites.
If you feel like you are at risk of developing a gambling habit or are already experiencing excessive impulses to gamble, it is recommended that you seek help from a professional. You can talk to advisers for free on help hotlines such as GamCare, which can be found 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 0808 8020 133.
If you’re not sure if you are at risk of a gambling addiction you can take a self-assessment test at the Responsible Gambling Organization to find out how your gambling habits measure up.
ToffeeWeb Betting – Our Responsible Gambling Content Process
ToffeeWeb Betting attempts to provide readers with the most relevant and informative content regarding responsible gambling, ensuring they have everything they need to know about gambling safety in one place. Find below the vision and philosophy behind our material.
Our Betting Vision
Our goal is to empower our readers, giving them the information required to make their own, well-informed decisions about betting and gambling in the UK. This is done through various educational reviews and articles, which use our years of experience in expert analysis in the industry.
Our Betting Values
All of our content is created with our core values kept in mind, bringing accuracy, objectivity, transparency and legal compliance to each and every one of our articles. We always fact-check our writing and make sure to keep up with updates, regularly revising our content to keep up with the times.
Keeping an unbiased perspective when dealing with gambling operators is another key directive for our writers, making sure we offer a balanced narrative. We also ensure that all betting brands featured on our site are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission to guarantee legality.
Note that all content published at ToffeeWeb is produced by writers who boast years of experience in the betting and gambling industry, both as customers and in a publication capacity.
Our Editorial Process
To make certain that our content is of the highest standards and meets all compliance guidelines, we follow the process below:
- We visit and research all relevant authorities and operators, gaining our facts first-hand.
- Our team will then fine comb through the material for a secondary review, fact-checking and confirming accuracy.
- After an article is published, our editorial staff will make sure to keep up with developments and make changes when required.
