Online Casinos in United Kingdom

The Legal Position

Online casino play is lawful in Great Britain, but only when the operator holds a licence. Under section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005 a person commits an offence if they provide facilities for gambling without an operating licence authorising the activity. The Gambling Commission is responsible for issuing personal gambling licences for individuals and gambling operating licences for businesses operating in Great Britain.

Who Regulates It and Under What Law

The Gambling Commission is an executive non-departmental public body. Its functions are set out in the Gambling Act 2005, as amended by the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014. Its remit covers remote gambling where the key equipment is based anywhere in the world and the products are offered to consumers in Great Britain. The Commission does not regulate the provision of remote gambling in Northern Ireland.

How Licensing Works

Operators apply for an operating licence and individuals in specified roles hold personal licences. Licensees are bound by the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, and the Commission assesses compliance and takes enforcement action. A gambling licence issued in another country does not permit an operator to provide gambling to consumers in Great Britain, and in the absence of a valid defence it is a criminal offence to advertise unlawful gambling to consumers there. Licensed businesses can be checked on the Commission's public register.

The Minimum Age

In most cases the minimum legal age for gambling in Great Britain is 18, and the Commission lists online gambling among the activities to which that age applies. Gambling websites it regulates must hold up to date policies and procedures designed to prevent underage gambling.

Enforcement of the Licensing Requirement

The Commission treats unlicensed supply as illegal gambling regardless of where in the world it is provided from. Its work includes investment in technology, training, and resources for a dedicated Illegal Markets Team, and action against facilitators such as payment providers and search engines. That is a change in emphasis from the position a decade ago, when offshore sites licensed elsewhere could still advertise into the market.