United Kingdom

How the market works

Great Britain licences every online vertical, allows advertising within a code of practice, and applies no cap on the number of licences, which makes it the most open of the large European markets in structural terms. The qualification is that openness is paired with the most detailed conduct requirements anywhere: the licence conditions and codes of practice run to a long document that is amended several times a year, and compliance work concentrates on customer interaction, affordability and anti-money-laundering records rather than on game certification.

The direction of travel since the 2023 white paper on the Gambling Act review has been towards product and spend controls. Stake limits for online slots have been introduced, with a lower limit for younger adults; a statutory levy on licensees funds research, prevention and treatment; and checks on unusually heavy losses have been brought in on a defined basis rather than left to each operator's judgement. For an operator the British market is therefore high volume, high scrutiny and relatively low tax by comparison with American states.

Northern Ireland is regulated separately under much older legislation and is not covered by the same online framework, which is why the licensed market is normally described as Great Britain rather than the United Kingdom.

Who regulates it

Gambling Commission (UKGC), based in Birmingham and operating under Gambling Act 2005. The licensing body for all gambling offered to customers in Great Britain, whether the operator is based there or not.

Licence types issued

• Remote operating licence
• Non-remote operating licence
• Personal management licence
• Personal functional licence

Full profile of the UKGC