Every online casino that legally serves players in Great Britain is listed on the Gambling Commission's public register. Checking takes a couple of minutes, and it is the single most useful thing you can do before handing over money or ID. Licensed businesses must display that they are licensed and link to the register, so the check starts on the casino site itself.
Step by step: checking a licence on the register
- Find the licence statement on the casino site. It is usually in the footer or on an "About us" page. Note the company name and the Gambling Commission account number it quotes.
- Open the register yourself. Go to the Gambling Commission business register by typing the address or using a bookmark. Do not rely only on the link in the footer, as a fake site can link to a page that looks official.
- Search by account number first. The register can be searched by business name, trading name, domain name or account number. The account number is the business's unique reference, so it gives the cleanest result.
- Compare the company name. The account name on the register is the legal name of the business. It should match the company named in the casino's terms and conditions, not just the brand on the homepage.
- Check the licence status. You want to see Active. Other statuses include Expired, Lapsed, Surrendered, Suspended, Revoked and Forfeited, and none of these allow the business to take bets from you.
- Check the exact domain. Open the domain names on the record and look for the precise address in your browser bar. Each domain is marked Active, Inactive or White label. If yours is missing or Inactive, treat the site as unlicensed.
- Look at regulatory actions. The record shows any sanctions or settlements the Commission has imposed. A past action does not mean a site is unsafe today, but it is worth reading what happened.
What the fields tell you
| Register field | What to compare |
|---|---|
| Account number | Should match the number quoted in the casino's footer or terms |
| Account name | Should match the legal company named in the casino's terms and conditions |
| Licence status | Should read Active |
| Domain names | The exact web address you are using should be listed as Active or White label |
| Trading names | The brand name on the site should appear as an active trading name |
| Regulatory actions | Any sanctions or settlements against the business |
A White label domain usually means the brand is run on another company's licence. That is allowed, but the licence holder shown on the register is the business responsible to you and to the Commission, so that is the name to use if you ever need to complain. The Commission also notes that domain and trading names are supplied by the businesses themselves, which is another reason to read the casino's terms and confirm the company names match.
Common tricks to watch for
- Look-alike domains. A copycat site may use a near-identical address with an extra letter, a hyphen or a different ending such as .net instead of .com. The domain check in step 6 catches this, but only if you compare the address character by character.
- Licences from other jurisdictions. A Curaçao, Anjouan or even Malta licence does not allow a business to serve players in Great Britain. The Commission is clear that overseas operators need a British licence if they offer remote gambling here.
- Fake seals. A Gambling Commission logo in the footer proves nothing on its own. Only the register entry counts.
- "Not on GAMSTOP" marketing. Licensed online operators must take part in GAMSTOP. A site that advertises being outside it is advertising that it is outside British regulation.
- Borrowed account numbers. An unlicensed site may quote the account number of a real licensee. This is why steps 4 and 6 matter: the company and the domain must match the record, not just the number.
What to do if the casino is not listed
Do not deposit, and do not send identity documents. If you already have an account, stop playing and try to withdraw any balance. An unlicensed operator is acting illegally, and you will not have the protections that come with a licensed site, including access to a free Alternative Dispute Resolution service. You can report an unlicensed site to the Gambling Commission through its contact page.
If you found the site through an advert, you can also complain to the Advertising Standards Authority. And if you are using unlicensed sites to get around your own self-exclusion, the free National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 is open 24 hours a day.
Sources
- Gambling Commission: public register of gambling businesses
- Gambling Commission: make sure that the gambling business is licensed
- Gambling Commission: what to look at before you gamble
- Gambling Commission: remote gambling licences
- Gambling Commission: taking your complaint to ADR
- Gambling Commission: online operators required to participate in GAMSTOP
- GAMSTOP terms of use
- GamCare: what support do we provide