Gambling Act 2005

The white paper indicated that we would expect industry to strictly adhere to this ratio and we would set out detailed requirements in further consultation. We welcome further evidence on the unmet consumer demand in the consultation response. A number of premises, particularly those located in motorway service stations, chose to retain their existing entitlements. Please explain your answer, including an alternative proposal for SSBT entitlements where applicable. Do you agree with the proposed entitlements for Self-Service Betting Terminals (SSBTs) based on the sliding scale? Casinos that are currently permitted to offer betting may site a maximum of 40 Self-Service Betting Terminals (SSBTs).

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.

1968 Act casinos will be entitled to an enhanced gaming machine entitlement if their gambling area is at least 280sqm. 1968 Act casinos with a gambling area of at least 280sqm will be able to exercise the increased gaming machine entitlements shown in Figure 3. For example, a casino with two premises licences that meets the size and physical separation requirements could site 160 machines – more than a Large 2005 Act casino. Where 1968 Act casinos are smaller than these requirements, we have proposed that they are able to benefit from an increased number of machines on a pro rata basis commensurate with their size and non-gambling area, and subject to the same ratio. The number of gaming products that land-based casinos can provide will always be constrained by physical space in a way that online casinos are not, but this is made worse by the existing caps on numbers.

The Gambling Act 2005 defines a casino as an arrangement whereby people are given an opportunity to participate in one or more casino games. The white paper set out the government’s plans for modernising the regulation of the gambling sector.

It creates an onus on companies to understand the risks that they create for others, and to ensure they are mitigating those risks. It demands more of organisations in terms of accountability for their use of personal data, and adds to the existing rights of individuals. On 25 May 2018, there will be new data protection legislation in force, both in the UK and across the EU – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The future of casino regulation in the UK presents challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector

Independent reviews, expert guides, and trusted ratings of the best UK non gamestop casino online casinos. Online casinos, sportsbooks, poker rooms, lottery-betting and bingo sites. Online casino operators now pay 40% tax on gross gaming revenue, rising from 21%. Oliver is a UK-based online casino analyst with over 12 years of experience in reviewing and comparing Gambling Commission–licensed platforms.

The personal information we collect and process is the data provided to us directly by you in the responses to this consultation. This notice sets out how DCMS will use your personal data as part of our legal obligations with regard to data protection. For the purposes of personal data collected in the course of this consultation, DCMS is the data controller.

In particular, licensing authorities were concerned that the ‘aim to permit’ results in the granting of premises licences even when specific harms or risks have been identified. A report submitted to our call for evidence found that the 2005 Act casinos had generated some benefits to the local economy including regeneration, jobs and money paid to local authorities as part of the arrangement for the licence being awarded. Typically gaming machines are cabinets housing computer terminals, with either buttons or touch screens allowing customers to select different machine game types (e.g. B2 or B3 games).

Sliding scale for gaming machine entitlements

The commitment made in 2020 by four major operators to direct increased contributions to the independent charity GambleAware, including a cumulative £100 million for treatment services, will continue to be delivered in full to provide funding certainty and support the delivery of planned programmes of work. When Parliamentary time allows, we will seek to further tackle illegal online operators by legislating to give the Commission powers to require for example internet service providers (ISPs) and payment providers to stop providing their services to black market websites. We are challenging the sports and esports sectors and the industry to set a high standard for social responsibility, with the potential not only to improve standards in gambling sponsorship but also to provide a model for responsible sponsorship by other sectors. We will engage with video games stakeholders such as industry bodies, tournament organisers, and publishers of popular esports games to develop and implement ground rules, for example potentially limiting gambling sponsorship in competitions that are accessible to under 18s. Options might include individual sports governing bodies’ rulebooks incorporating the Code’s provisions or through inclusion in the gambling industry’s IGRG Code.

The House of Lords Select Committee report recommended in 2020 that casinos should be regulated under the same system regardless of when their licence was created. It was intended that the 2005 Act licences would be taken up and, subject to evaluation, more created, and perhaps that the 1968 Act casinos would be phased out or move over to the 2005 Act system. A regional casino, which could have 1000+ machines with unlimited stakes and prizes, was provided for in the Act but the secondary legislation never passed. The Gambling Act 2005 provided for a new concept of casino, with a small number of two types of licence created, known as Large and Small 2005 Act casinos.

It will now take forward work to review the design and targeting of incentives such as free bets and bonuses to ensure there are clear rules and fair limits on re-wagering requirements and time limits so they do not encourage excessive or harmful gambling. The Gambling Commission has recently strengthened restrictions on online VIP schemes to make sure they are not used to exploit gamblers, and has introduced rules to stop bonus offers and other marketing being targeted at people showing significant indicators of harm. It is clear that gambling advertising can have a disproportionate impact on particular groups such as people who are already experiencing problems, and that some aggressive advertising practices can exacerbate harms. This will include options of a £2 stake limit per spin; a £4 stake limit per spin; or an approach based on individual risk. The Gambling Commission will review and consult on updating design rules for online products, building on its recent work on online slots to consider features like speed of play, illusion of player control and other intensifying features which can exacerbate risk.

• (2) In paragraph 2(1) of Part 4 of Schedule 1 (mandatory conditions attaching to small casino premises licences), for “500m²” substitute “250m²”.
• The vast majority of respondents agreed that there should be a minimum transaction time for customers making a cashless transaction on a gaming machine.
• In principle, subject to privacy requirements, they could also provide a central architecture which would allow operators to track play and bring in safer gambling measures.
• This will act as a safeguard in case someone tries to put more than £100 onto the machine.
• We believe it is appropriate to increase these fees so that local authorities can cover the costs of their gambling licensing and enforcement activity, and increase activity where needed.
• However, we believe that a variant of this feature would help customers to keep a track of their play.

Officials say two unlicensed premises in Doncaster were targeted a multi-agency operation. The bookmakers says it had ‘no choice’ after rises in gambling tax, national insurance and wages. A big test may come later this year, with indications that there may be a ban on gambling companies sponsoring the shirts of football and darts players. The Commission has already cracked down on one of the bookmakers’ cash cows, the fixed-odds betting terminal. The British public spent £2.2bn on online slot games in 2019, according to the Gambling Commission, and some estimates say the UK now accounts for 15% of these types of games. A Gambling Commission review from June 2025 found that satisfaction scores climbed 6 per cent among users who got richer risk alerts and detailed gameplay reports.

However, this is based on smaller sample sizes than the data in Figure 3 and on the PGSI mini screen rather than all 9 questions above. Figure 3 shows the best available data on population problem gambling rates, which have remained broadly steady around or below 1% for over 20 years. Overall, the PHE evidence review found that the highest rates of gambling participation are reported among people who have higher academic qualifications, are employed, are relatively less deprived, and who reported better general psychological health and high life satisfaction.

What measures, if any, do you think venues should adopt to ensure that no under-18s play on ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style machines if the age limit is introduced? Should ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style machines be required to move to age-restricted areas in venues? Should the government introduce an age limit on ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style machines to 18 and over? This does not distinguish between ‘cash-out’ and ‘ticket-out’ machines. The survey found that in the last 12 months, 3% of respondents had spent their own money on fruit or slot machines and a total of 6% had experience of playing on fruit or slot machines.

Some land-based operators proposed that players in venues other than casinos should be able to choose to allocate a small proportion of their stake towards an additional prize pot. A number of proposals from the land-based industry related to concepts of new machine games and categories of gaming machine which do not currently fit into existing regulations or current technical standards. In response to this, we received a number of proposals for changes to rules surrounding gaming machines in venues. We agree that operators should maintain a range of payment options, including cash, to allow for customer choice and ensure that gambling harm is kept to a minimum.

This is one of the strongest consumer protections embedded in the UK casino regulations. If you are asked for affordability documentation at a UKGC-licensed casino, this is a legal requirement — not optional. Automated checks use open banking data and credit reference information. For most recreational players, the the operators above changes are largely invisible day-to-day.

If you’ve played online casino in the UK for any length of time, you’ll know the rulebook never truly sits still. £1 million is a hefty fine, but it is more of a statement to operators out there and showcases how serious the UKGC is about protecting consumers from problem gambling. Self-exclusion helps problem gamblers and allows them to request gambling operators to deny them service. A recent example of how much the UK takes this seriously can be seen with SkyBet, one of the largest online betting providers in the country. The UKGC does not go after individuals who are participating in illegal online gambling. Online gambling, also known as remote gambling, is considered legal in Great Britain if the operator possesses a licence from the UKGC.

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.

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. There is data to show that 27% of gamblers aged between 16 and 25 report friends encouraging them to gamble more money/more often. Further, some call for evidence respondents cited neurological research showing cognitive development continuing up to the age of 25 and argued that protective measures should reflect the fact that young adults may still be developing capacity to regulate impulses and make more rational decisions. However, there is growing evidence that younger adults may benefit from greater protection than other groups.

With the current evidence base, we do not support the prohibition of all Category D machines such as crane grabbers and coin pushers for under 18s. There is currently no substantive research or evidence clearly identifying harms resulting from general Category D machine play. Based on evidence submitted to the call for evidence we estimate that those that pay out money (known as “cash-out Category D slot machines”) currently account for approximately two thirds of Category D slot style machines. The economic value of FECs, which rely heavily on Category D machines, was highlighted in responses to our call for evidence.

The 2023 White Paper triggered the biggest round of gambling law changes since the Gambling Act 2005. These are the milestones that still shape gambling policy and oversight today. British gambling legislation has been rewritten several times since 1960, usually when technology outgrew the old rules.

Additionally, it advises the government and local authorities on various gambling-related issues and may recommend amendments to the current legislative framework. The agency has investigative powers and may prosecute illegal gambling operations. The UKGC has no authority over spread betting, which is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. On 1 October 2013 the National Lottery Commission was abolished, and its responsibilities – including monitoring and regulating the National Lottery – were transferred to the Gambling Commission.

For more on how protections like these work in practice, see our responsible gambling UK guide. This aligns UK gambling AML standards with broader financial services requirements. Enhanced AML checks — anti-money-laundering procedures are more rigorous under the these tested platforms, with enhanced source-of-funds verification required for high-value customers.

All operators must also adhere to our Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). Our guidance summarises the legal background and legislation which operators must follow to be compliant. The NRA sets out the key money laundering and terrorist financing risks for the UK. HM Treasury and the Home Office have published the national risk assessment (NRA) of money laundering and terrorist financing 2020 (opens in new tab).