Short answer
To offer remote gambling to people in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has a separate regime) you need an operating license from the Gambling Commission (UKGC) under the Gambling Act 2005, plus Personal Management Licenses for key people. Fees scale with gross gambling yield: a remote casino pays £8,185+ to apply and from £7,000 a year. Remote Gaming Duty is 40% of relevant remote gaming profits from 1 April 2026; certain remote betting moves to 25% from April 2027. The first annual fee for eligible licenses is reduced by 25%. The UKGC aims to decide complete applications in about 16 weeks, but it can take longer. No UK company is required. The license does not cover Northern Ireland or other jurisdictions.
United Kingdom at a glance
- Regulator
- Gambling Commission (UKGC) — Great Britain only; Northern Ireland has a separate regime
- Primary law
- Gambling Act 2005; Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014; LCCP; Remote Technical Standards (RTS)
- Who needs it
- Anyone providing remote gambling to customers in Great Britain, wherever based
- License structure
- Operating license per activity (casino, betting, bingo, software…) plus Personal Management Licenses (PML)
- Term
- Indefinite, subject to annual fee and compliance
- Time to license
- 16-week target for a complete file; UKGC warns it can take up to 6 months
- UK company required
- No — eligible legal forms, including companies incorporated outside Great Britain, subject to the requirements on representation and service of official documents, and PML holders for key functions
Is United Kingdom the right license for you?
A good fit when
- Great Britain is a core market and your financial model can carry 40% RGD plus the levy
- You have the resources to implement and maintain compliance as you grow — financial vulnerability checks, stake limits and bonus caps
- You are a B2B supplier that develops, adapts, installs or supplies gambling software used by GB-facing operators
Look elsewhere when
- You are pre-revenue or still validating your business model and demand
- Your model relies on promotions with high wagering requirements that may exceed UKGC limits (10x cap since January 2026)
- You want one license for many markets — UKGC covers Great Britain only
United Kingdom license types
| License | Who needs it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Remote casino | Online casino and slots operators | Separate from betting; a combined book needs both (combination add-on fee) |
| Remote general betting | Fixed-odds sports betting operators | Real-event and virtual betting variants |
| Remote bingo / pool betting / betting intermediary | Bingo, pools, exchanges | Each is a separate activity |
| Gambling software | Gambling game developers and platform providers | Suppliers that develop, adapt, install or supply gambling software may need this license depending on their activities; some models also need host licenses. Assess case by case. |
| Personal Management License (PML) | Holders of specified management functions | £463 per applicant; 8-week target |
United Kingdom license costs and tax
| Charge | Amount | When | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote casino application | £8,185–165,069 | On filing, non-refundable | GGY band F1–J1 |
| Remote casino annual fee | £7,000–1,453,949 | Within 30 days of issue, then yearly | GGY band; first year reduced 25% |
| Remote general betting application | £6,535–90,648 | On filing | GGY band |
| Remote general betting annual fee | £5,937–1,402,455 | Yearly | GGY band |
| Combination add-on (annual) | £6,250 / £12,500 | Yearly | two / three activities |
| Personal Management License | £463 | Per applicant | |
| Change of corporate control | £200 | On notification |
Fee schedule in force from 1 October 2026 (SI 2026/828). The first annual fee for eligible licenses is reduced by 25% and is due within 30 days of issue; the discount does not automatically apply to every additional license category and does not cover application fees. Combination fees apply only to combined licenses. Above £1.6bn GGY the annual fee adds about £272,000 per further £200m. UKGC fees, the statutory levy and HMRC duties are separate obligations.
Tax
- Remote Gaming Duty (RGD)
- 40% of relevant remote gaming profits from 1 April 2026 (previously 21%), calculated under UK tax law (Finance Act 2026)
- General Betting Duty, remote
- 15% until 31 March 2027, then 25% for certain remote betting from 1 April 2027; remote bets on UK horse racing stay at 15%
- Bingo Duty
- Abolished from 1 April 2026
- Statutory levy
- 0.1%–1.1% of GGY (Gambling Levy Regulations 2025), remote operators near the top
- Basis
- Place of consumption — duty is due for people in Great Britain under the applicable tax criteria, wherever the operator is based (HMRC Gambling Tax Service)
Legal framework
| Instrument | What it does for you |
|---|---|
| Gambling Act 2005 | Licensing framework, UKGC powers, offences |
| Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 | Point-of-consumption licensing for remote operators |
| Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) | Ongoing conditions: AML, safer gambling, marketing, financial vulnerability checks |
| Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards | Technical requirements, test-house certification, deposit limits |
| SI 2025/215 (stake limits) | £5 per spin for 25+, £2 for 18–24 on online slots |
| Finance Act / HMRC Excise Notice 455a | Remote Gaming Duty and General Betting Duty |
Local substance and eligibility
- Any legal form, UK or overseas — no UK incorporation and no minimum share capital
- Companies incorporated outside Great Britain can apply, meeting the requirements on representation and service of official documents (an address for service, not a PO box, per UKGC instructions)
- Each key management function held by a PML holder
- Suitability of the applicant and everyone who owns or controls it: identity, finances, integrity, competence, criminality
- RTS-compliant platform certified by an approved test house before go-live
Setting up the licensee: company formation for gambling licenses.
How to get a United Kingdom license
- Weeks 1–3
Map ownership and activities
Corporate chart to UBOs, choose activities (casino, betting…), estimate GGY band for fees.
- Weeks 2–6
Evidence funding and build the business plan
Source of funds for all investors; three-year plan; customer-journey design under LCCP.
- Weeks 3–8
Policies and PML holders
AML, safer gambling, complaints/ADR, GAMSTOP, marketing; line up PML holders for each key function.
- Week 8
Apply via eServices
File the operating license and PML applications and pay the application fees.
- Weeks 8–24
Suitability assessment
UKGC vetting and clarification requests; 16-week target from a complete file.
- Parallel
Test-house certification
Certify games and platform to the RTS; this often gates go-live, not the license.
- Go-live
Register with HMRC and launch
Register for RGD/GBD, integrate GAMSTOP, then launch to British customers.
Document checklist
Corporate
- Constitutional documents and group structure
- Details of every person with control or 3%+ interest
- UK address for service
Finance
- Source of funds evidence for all funding
- Financial projections and business plan
- Audited accounts where available
People
- PML applications for key management functions
- Identity, criminality and competence evidence
Compliance and technical
- AML/CFT risk assessment and policies
- Safer-gambling approach and financial vulnerability risk assessment (separate from AML/KYC)
- Complaints and ADR provider
- RTS test reports per product
After the license
Regulatory returns
Periodic regulatory returns and key-event reporting to the UKGC; obligations and frequency depend on the license category and applicable instructions.
Annual fee and levy
Annual fee by GGY band and the statutory levy.
Duty
RGD and GBD returns to HMRC at the applicable frequency.
Customer protection
Stake limits on slots, 10x cap on wagering requirements for promotions it applies to, financial vulnerability checks at £150 net deposits in 30 days, deposit limits enforced.
Marketing
Opt-in per product and channel for direct marketing since May 2025.
AML
Customer due diligence, risk assessment and SAR reporting to the NCA.
United Kingdom compared
| United Kingdom | Malta | Isle of Man | Gibraltar | Ontario | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual license fees | from £7,000 (by GGY) | €25,000 + contribution (min €15,000) | £36,750 | £50,000–200,000 B2C (by GGY) | CAD 100,000 per site |
| Tax on GGR | 40% RGD + levy | 15% / 10% on players in Malta | 0.1–1.5% duty on GGY | 0.15% duty (first £100k exempt) | ≈ 20% of AGGR to iGO (contractual share, not a tax) |
| Time to license | 16 weeks–6 months | 4–6 months | 10–12 weeks | 3–6 months | 4–9 months |
| Local substance | UK address, PML holders | MT company, key functions, system audit | 2 resident directors, Designated Official, IoM servers | Office, senior staff, equipment | AGCO registration + iGO agreement |
| Status | GB national license | EU regulator | Crown Dependency | UK Overseas Territory | Provincial (Canada) |
All jurisdictions side by side, with filters: compare gambling license jurisdictions. How we run an application: gambling consulting services.
Written and reviewed by Alex Szilaghi
Founder of Szilaghi Consulting. More than twenty years in gambling licensing and corporate structuring across EU, UK, Canadian and offshore jurisdictions, based in Romania and working before ONJN on Class 1 and Class 2 files. We act as Romanian representative and local director for foreign ONJN licensees and file their monthly regulatory reports, so these guides reflect how the rules are applied in practice, not only how they read.
Last legal review . Current to the UKGC framework as of the review date. General information, not legal advice.
United Kingdom gambling license — FAQs
How much does a UK gambling license cost?
Fees scale with gross gambling yield. A remote casino pays £8,185 to £165,069 to apply and £7,000 to £1,453,949 a year; remote betting pays £6,535 to £90,648 to apply and £5,937 to £1,402,455 a year. PMLs cost £463 per person. These are the fees in force from 1 October 2026.
What is the UK Remote Gaming Duty rate in 2026?
From 1 April 2026 Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40%. Remote General Betting Duty rises from 15% to 25% on 1 April 2027 for certain remote betting (UK horse racing stays at 15%). A statutory levy of 0.1%–1.1% of GGY applies on top.
How long does a UKGC application take?
The UKGC targets 16 weeks from a complete application, and says it can take up to six months or longer. PMLs have an 8-week target. Completing technical testing and certification can affect when you go live.
Do I need a UK company?
No. Overseas companies can apply, with no minimum share capital. You must meet the requirements on representation and service of official documents, have PML holders for key functions, and pass integrity and suitability checks for everyone who owns or controls the business.
Does a UKGC license cover Northern Ireland?
No. The Gambling Commission licenses Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales). Northern Ireland has its own regime.
What changed in 2025–26?
Online slot stake limits (£5, or £2 for 18–24-year-olds), financial vulnerability checks at £150 net deposits in 30 days, opt-in direct marketing, a 10x cap on wagering requirements and no cross-product bonuses from January 2026, and enforced deposit limits from September 2026.
Sources
Figures were checked against the regulator and legislation listed below on 13 October 2026. Fees, tax rates and restricted-market lists change; confirm with us before you commit capital.
- Gambling Commission — licensees and businesses
- Gambling Commission — LCCP (online)
- Gambling Commission — LCCP 2.3.1, technical standards (RTS)
- Gambling Commission — remote licenses and fees
- Gambling Commission — Remote Gambling Software license
- Gambling Act 2005 — legislation.gov.uk
- HMRC — Remote Gaming Duty
- HMRC — General Betting Duty
Find out if United Kingdom fits before you pay a fee
We screen the ownership chain, check banking and payment fit for your markets, and price the full year-1 cost before anything is filed. Then we incorporate, prepare the dossier and handle the regulator through to go-live.
Book a United Kingdom license assessment