ARCHIVE UK Gambling Laws and Regulations 2025
This would potentially generate an additional £1,560,000 in total annual funding for local authorities and increase average annual costs per premises by £167. This would potentially generate an additional £780,000 in total annual funding for local authorities and increase average annual costs per premises by £84. The higher end takes into consideration that some local authorities may need additional funding to carry out the full extent of administration of their gambling duties and gambling enforcement, such as the development of policy statements.
It suggests that many smaller operators already undertake test purchasing voluntarily or through membership of a trade body, and while there is a financial cost to each test purchase, this is normally low (under £50). The Gambling Commission’s ordinary code says that all land-based licensees should require their staff to check the age of any customer who appears to them to be under the age of 21, also known as ‘Think 21’. While low test purchasing rates demonstrate serious failures of process at venues, this does not necessarily mean that significant numbers of children are illegally accessing gambling. For instance, the Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling Survey (2019) found a higher proportion of children than adults reported having visited a casino in the last 7 days. Increasing the age limit to play Category D cash payout slots to 18 years — moving it from a voluntary to a legal footing to include all operators — will break the link between cash payouts and slot-style adult play for children.
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.
We will look further at the legislative options and conditions under which licensed bingo premises might be permitted to offer side-bets in a more flexible or expanded form within a defined set of parameters with rules to reduce the risk of harm. We propose to adjust the 80/20 ratio which governs the balance of Category B and C/D machines in bingo and arcade venues to 50/50, to ensure that businesses can offer customer choice and flexibility while maintaining a balanced offer of gambling products. With banks withdrawing facilities for processing foreign cheques, we will make a limited change to the Gambling Act which will permit casinos to offer credit to non-UK residents, subject to thorough financial risk and anti-money laundering checks. We will consult further on the details of how casinos will be able to opt to choose this allowance and ratio over their current entitlement, with fees and mandatory licence conditions in line with 2005 Act casinos. This chapter sets out a number of areas where we propose to reset regulation for land-based gambling, while maintaining or strengthening safeguards that are needed to protect vulnerable groups and communities from gambling harm.
In England, there are currently eight NHS specialist gambling clinics in operation, including a national children and young persons’ clinic (part of the National Problem Gambling Clinic in London), covering London and the North East, North West, Yorkshire, South of England and West Midlands. While treatment of gambling-related harms is not currently mainstreamed across the NHS, limited numbers of people may seek support through existing services such as Mental Health Services and Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). Others pointed to difficulty accessing operator data without being dependent on the goodwill of the industry. They said gambling research has attracted a narrow pool of researchers, in part because of reluctance to accept voluntary funding originating from industry donations and the consequent low status of gambling as a research area. Unlike for alcohol, substantial funding for gambling-specific research, as well as education and treatment, is available through the system of voluntary donations from industry outlined above.
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.
Empowering local leaders to take decisions in their area is a priority for this government and we support them in the use of the broad powers which the planning and gambling regulation frameworks give them to set licence conditions and consider applications. This is subject to further work to assess the conditions and how to limit gambling harm, and subject to Parliamentary time to legislate. We support allowing specific proposals for new machine games to be tested within planned industry pilots under certain conditions, with the close involvement of the Gambling Commission. We recognise the internationally competitive market in which the small number of high-end casinos operate and the challenges the sector faces.
The call for evidence asked whether there was evidence that government should moderately increase the threshold at which local authorities need to individually authorise the number of Category C and D gaming machines in alcohol licensed premises. Licensing authorities questioned whether the ratio approach to gaming machines is still an effective means of preventing harm in licensed bingo premises and adult gaming centres. The bingo industry also pointed to Gamcare helpline statistics which show that under 1% of the calls are from customers playing bingo or gaming machines in a retail bingo club.
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With increased resources in due course, the Commission plans to invest in its data systems in order to better understand consumer behaviour and operator compliance. It is supported by existing powers in the Gambling Act for the Commission to make data requests as part of its regulatory activities. It has indicated, including in a speech by its Chief Executive to the GambleAware conference in 2021, that repeated failings are an aggravating factor and tougher action will be taken against repeat offenders.
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.
More generally, the Commission is known to issue cease and desist letters, carry out test purchasing, take steps to disrupt payment flows and engaging with search engines to prevent URLs belonging to unlicensed operators appearing in search results. For instance, the Commission has demonstrated a willingness to initially engage with those that operate (without a licence) offerings that have hints of licensable products before requesting that such entity either apply for and obtain a licence or prevent consumers in Great Britain from accessing such offering, whilst making clear that to continue doing so may amount to an offence under the Gambling Act 2005. Substantial fines have been imposed, individuals have been sanctioned pursuant to their “personal management licences” and licences have been suspended. The British regulatory authorities have taken something of a global lead in the enforcement of regulation, particularly in relation to “source of wealth” and “proceeds of crime” omissions and also failures in social responsibility obligations owed by operators to players. That said, non-gambling services are generally carved out of this wide net – payment processing, marketing affiliates and other ancillary services such as fraud prevention and age verification are per se not regarded as “gambling”.
The responses received from the third sector also raised concerns about the potential for increased gambling-related harm to occur alongside greater numbers of Category B machines being made available. One operator, under both options, stated that it would increase the number of Category B cabinets machines by 2 to 3 per venue, while removing the vast number of smaller in-fill gaming machines. Evidence provided for Option 1 suggests that increases in Category B cabinet gaming machines would be moderate in the short-term. The arcade sector similarly reported that Option 1 and Option 3 would result in the removal of underused Category C and D machines, whilst Option 2 would have no impact or result in increased numbers of Category C and D gaming machines. This relates primarily to underused Category C and D gaming machines.
Figure 12: Breakdown and value of revenue to sports from gambling sponsorship
There are numerous charitable lottery operators that operate under certain regulatory constraints. On 1 February 2024, the Gambling Commission granted Allwyn Entertainment Ltd a 10-year licence to operate the National Lottery, replacing the previous licensee Camelot. Casinos in the UK are generally operated under historic licences that were rolled forward under the “new” Gambling Act 2005. In addition to the LCCP, the British regulator also publishes a large body of literature comprising regulatory advice, policies and guidance which licensees are expected to take account of.The financial regulation of gambling is set out mostly in the British Finance Acts and provides for various levels of duty upon different types of gambling.
The most recent year for which we have combined Health Survey data is 2016, in NatCen’s report Gambling Behaviour in Great Britain in 2016. These have also been updated a number of times since 2005, with guidance also tightened where needed to mitigate particular risks (e.g. banning content with strong appeal to children from October 2022). Gaming machine stake and prize limits are set out in secondary legislation and have been changed a number of times by the Secretary of State since the 2005 Act.
However, between 2005 and 2021, just 112 studies with a focus that included gambling were funded by UK Research Councils or the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) compared with 691 for alcohol. The scope of the issues covered by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) are most relevant to gambling as a topic. As with all fields of research, qualified researchers from universities and other organisations such as businesses and charities can apply directly to UKRI to fund research on gambling.
This mainly extended to random number-generated casino games, but a few submissions argued that betting should also be included. However, a case has been made that the unlimited stakes on online slots play are particularly problematic due to the nature of slots play and its increasing popularity as seen in the monthly operator data collected by the Gambling Commission since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the structural characteristics discussed above, stake size can be a key determinant of losses and gambling-related harm. However, the new rules will strive to make games intrinsically safer across the sector, while leaving space for operators to continue innovating and developing games which customers want to play. Longer-term, Gambling Commission changes to the prevalence and participation methodology will provide a more detailed assessment of problem gambling trends across the online slot player cohort to support evaluation.
If you are a local authority/ licensing board, how many premises licence applications did you receive in the 22/23 financial year? We expect that wider benefits will arise from the increase in oversight and enforcement activity by licensing authorities of gambling premises in their area and are seeking further information to better understand these benefits. The primary cost of this measure is the additional costs incurred by gambling operators resulting from the increased licensing fees. Note that the different fees currently charged for large and small casinos may be subject to review and harmonisation following the consultation outlined in Chapter 1. The Gambling (Premises Licence Fees) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 established the maximum level of fees that local authorities in England and Wales can charge for gambling premises licences. This activity may include inspecting gambling premises to ensure that they are complying with their licence or dealing with complaints from residents or neighbours.
Several operators claim they are holding on to players longer because clearer rules and a safer environment build trust. Public-health groups mostly cheer the rules, but many operators say the new tech adds cost and shakes up tried-and-true business models. Larger operators are now pooling resources in head office compliance units and leaning on automated identity checks to keep up with the rising paperwork.
This has been considered alongside other evidence available to us and advice from the Gambling Commission. The maximum annual fee for an adult gaming centre is £1,000 in England and Wales, and £700 in Scotland. The fees that licensing authorities collect for applications and annual renewals are used to cover the cost of administration and enforcement. The purpose of the document is non gamstop sites for licensing authorities to develop and publish their vision for the local area and a statement of intent to guide decision-making.
One of the most structural reforms is the move to a statutory gambling levy, designed to fund research, prevention, and treatment around gambling-related harm. Furthermore, as of 19 January 2026, new rules ban “mixed incentives” meaning operators can no longer force you to bet on sports to earn casino rewards. From that date, operators must prompt customers to set a financial limit before the first deposit, and they must also make it easy to review and change that limit later. In practical terms, it reshapes how casinos structure slot sessions, VIP offers, and “big-stake” play because those stakes simply aren’t available on UK-regulated slots anymore.
- The PHE gambling-related harm evidence review highlighted Health Survey evidence that non-remote bingo (3.3%) and in-person horse race betting had the lowest problem gambling rates of all non-lottery activities.
- They also pointed to anecdotal evidence that indicates a decline in gaming machine usage in alcohol licensed premises by casual pub goers, who now pay by card but who previously might have played a machine using spare change.
- The Gambling Commission has explicitly stated that clauses allowing casinos to void winnings “at their discretion” are likely unenforceable under UK consumer law.
- This consultation relates to land-based gambling provided to customers in Great Britain, by operators who are consequently required to hold the appropriate licence from the Gambling Commission.
The Commission has prioritised enforcement in recent years, particularly around unlicensed operators and consumer protection. The Commission plays an important role in protecting consumers and ensuring gambling is conducted fairly and safely.” Young said she is looking forward to working in the gambling sector and supporting the Commission’s consumer protection role. For players, they signal stronger consumer protections and continued regulatory oversight of the industry.
The main piece of legislation that regulates both land-based and online casinos in the UK is the Gambling Act, passed in 2005 by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In the following sections, we will examine the legislation concerning casinos in the United Kingdom, an industry that now generates more than £3.2 billion in gross gaming yield. As noted above, from 1 May 2025, operators may only directly market to customers that have consented to marketing on a granular per product (i.e., casino, bingo, betting) and per channel (i.e., SMS, email) basis. The IA should, however, provide a more robust, balanced assessment of societal costs because of the risk of increased gambling harm, as well as providing more narrative on international evidence. Costs to business include for familiarisation, and purchasing and implementing additional gaming machines. The package is intended to modernise the rules that apply to casinos and to help the sector to grow, while ensuring that appropriate safeguards against gambling-related harm are in place.
The government will increase the maximum cap that licensing authorities can charge by 15% through a made negative statutory instrument. Premises licence fees in Scotland are set under different regulations and are therefore a matter of consideration for the Scottish Government. This change will be made in respect of licensing authorities in England and Wales. The second concern was the lack of transparency regarding the way in which fees are used by local authorities and a perception that local authority activities, such as premises visits, do not appear to be reflected by the level of fees currently paid. A key stated benefit was the ability to undertake more proactive engagement and enforcement activities with licensed premises. Licensing authorities highlighted numerous benefits which would be achieved by increasing the maximum chargeable premises fees by 30%.
Data provided for a London casino over a four-week period in October 2019 showed a clear correlation between average dwell time and occupancy rates. Casino licences originate from two legislative regimes – the Gaming Act 1968 and the Gambling Act 2005. In order to ensure local authorities can continue to carry out their licensing and enforcement duties effectively, we are proposing to raise this cap by either 10%, 20% or 30%. We are also seeking views and evidence on what the impact would be if the 80/20 rule were to be removed completely.