Who actually sets the rules for online casinos in the UK? UK gambling law is, for online casinos, mainly the law of Great Britain: the Gambling Commission licenses them under the Gambling Act 2005, and since 1 November 2014 a business whose online services are used in Great Britain needs that licence wherever it is based. Northern Ireland has its own law.

The Gambling Act 2005 covers Great Britain – England, Scotland and Wales. This guide therefore says Great Britain where the law does, and the UK only where a rule or a body covers all four nations. Every rule below is described as at 9 October 2026.

Guides in this section

Each topic below has its own guide.

  • Operators, players and the law: who must hold a licence.
  • Tax on gambling winnings: what players and operators pay.
  • The wagering requirement cap: the limit on bonus terms.
  • Online slots stake limits: the £5 and £2 caps and game design.
  • Age and ID checks: what a licensed casino asks for.

What does the Gambling Act 2005 do?

The act sets three licensing objectives in section 1. Gambling should not become a source of crime or be used to support it. It should be run fairly and openly. Children and other vulnerable people should be protected from harm and exploitation.

The offence that gives a licence its force sits in section 33: providing facilities for gambling without an operating licence, with exceptions set out in the act. On summary conviction the maximum penalty is 51 weeks in prison, a fine of up to level 5 on the standard scale, or both, and in Scotland the maximum prison term is six months. The offence concerns the business that provides the gambling.

The second question is which businesses must hold a licence. Section 36, as amended by the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014, has applied section 33 to remote gambling since 1 November 2014 even when none of the equipment is in Great Britain, as long as the services are used there. A provider commits the offence only if it knows, or should know, that people in Great Britain use or are likely to use its services. The test is where the service is used, not where the servers or the head office are.

The act has not stood still. On 27 April 2023 the government published the white paper ‘High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age’ as a plan to reform regulation after a review of the act.

What the commission actually checks

The Gambling Commission describes its remit as arcades, betting, bingo, casinos, gaming machine providers, gambling software providers, lottery operators and remote gambling, with small society lotteries left out. Spread betting is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and gambling advertising across the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority.

At 31 March 2026 the commission had 2,154 licensed operators and 3,097 licensed activities, according to figures published on 17 September 2026.

A licence brings conditions. Holders must meet the licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP), and the current version took effect on 29 July 2026. The commission’s public register shows which activities a business may offer and any regulatory action taken against it.

The commission says licensed businesses “must display that they are licensed and also provide a link to our public register”. Its advice is to check that the licence details, including activities and website domain names, “match the public register”. A licence number in a footer proves little by itself. The register is the source to trust.

Checking takes three steps:

  1. Find the licence details on the site and the link to the public register.
  2. Open the register on the commission’s website and search for the business.
  3. Compare the activities and website domain names on the register with the site.

The guide to unlicensed casinos, scams and how to complain gives a full walk-through, and the page on online casinos licensed by the Gambling Commission explains what a British licence means. For a licensed business, the commission says, consumer and gambling protection rules in Great Britain apply.

What you lose without a licence

The commission says a business without its licence “is acting illegally” and that its “payment facilities may be withdrawn by major payment systems organisations such as MasterCard, PayPal and Visa”. Such a site is also outside the licence rules on complaints, on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers and on Gamstop. A complaint about unpaid winnings can therefore stall at the first step, because the site is not bound by those rules.

What the law says about the player at such a site is a separate question, answered in the guide on what the law says about operators and players. If gambling is affecting you or someone close to you, the National Gambling Helpline offers free and confidential support on 0808 8020 133.

Which rules apply at a licensed site?

The rules a player notices most are for the operator to follow, not the player. They apply to businesses licensed by the commission. Age checks protect children, stake limits protect vulnerable people, and the bonus cap is about fair terms.

RuleApplies fromFuller guide
Age and identity checked before you gamble7 May 2019why an online casino asks for your ID
Online operators must take part in Gamstop31 March 2020Gamstop, deposit limits and free gambling support
No gambling with a credit card14 April 2020–
No autoplay, ‘turbo’ or ‘slam stops’; casino games other than slots last at least five seconds; slots keep a 2.5-second minimum17 January 2025online slots stake limits and game design rules
Online slots stake limit of £5 per game cycle (aged 25 and over) or £2 (18 to 24-year-olds)9 April 2025 (£5); 21 May 2025 (£2)online slots stake limits and game design rules
New customers asked to set a financial limit before the first deposit31 October 2025; second stage from 30 September 2026deposit limits and how they work
Wagering requirements capped at 10 times; mixed product promotions banned19 January 2026how the 10 times wagering cap works
Financial risk assessments (often called affordability checks)Announced 7 July 2026financial risk checks and free support

The second stage of the deposit limit rules, which the commission moved from 30 June to 30 September 2026, requires online operators to offer deposit limits; only that type of limit may be called a ‘deposit limit’. No start date is given for the first stage of the financial risk assessments, because the commission said it would confirm the start date in its consultation response. Online casino, betting and bingo are for people aged 18 or over.

Northern Ireland: where UK gambling law stops

The commission says it has no powers to investigate or prosecute in Northern Ireland, because gambling there is a devolved matter. Outside the National Lottery, the law is the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. A 2022 amending act has applied in part since 1 October 2023, including an offence of letting people under 18 play gaming machines other than lower limit machines.

Licensing and enforcement sit with the Department for Communities, district councils, the courts and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Online gambling is the open question. Regulating it was the stated aim of a second phase of reform, and as at 9 October 2026 the department records no decision to take that phase forward. The nidirect page on gambling also lists Dunlewey Addiction Services, whose free helpline for people in Northern Ireland is 08000 886 725.

Some bodies cover all four nations. The Advertising Standards Authority regulates gambling advertising in Northern Ireland too. Gamstop is open to people who live in the UK, Northern Ireland included, but it blocks only operators licensed for Great Britain.

How does the commission act against unlicensed sites?

Tim Miller of the commission set out the numbers in a speech at ICE Barcelona on 19 January 2026. Between April and December 2025 the commission issued 592 cease and desist letters to advertisers and operators and reported 327,964 URLs to search engines, of which 203,571 were removed. It also disrupted 627 websites, which were taken down or geo-blocked.

Miller also said that “a major part of the audience for illegal gambling websites and apps are people who are already self-excluded”. The guide to unlicensed casinos, scams and how to complain explains that overlap.

New powers are on the statute book but not in force. Schedule 18 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 allows the suspension of domains and IP addresses, including on the request of a commission enforcement officer. Parliament has passed these powers, but they are not yet in force as at 9 October 2026.

Tax on gambling winnings

For players the position is simple. Section 51 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 says winnings from betting, lotteries and games with prizes are not chargeable gains, and the Business Income Manual published by HM Revenue and Customs says betting and gambling, as such, do not constitute trading. The 40% rate that took effect on 1 April 2026 is remote gaming duty, paid by the operator, not by the player. The guide on whether you pay tax on gambling winnings covers the exceptions. This is general information, not tax advice.

When a licensed site lets you down: complaints and support

What can you do when a licensed site does not pay or will not answer? Keep emails, screenshots and receipts, with their dates, and then work through the steps in order:

  1. Complain to the operator first. It has eight weeks to resolve the complaint.
  2. If the complaint is not resolved, take it to an approved ADR provider, which the commission describes as a free, independent service.

A site with no licence has neither step. Contacting your bank and reporting a scam are the routes that remain, and they are set out in the guide to unlicensed casinos, scams and how to complain.

If gambling is affecting you or someone close to you, the National Gambling Helpline offers free and confidential support on 0808 8020 133. The pages on Gamstop, deposit limits and free gambling support and on safer gambling explain the tools that can help before things get that far. This guide gives general information and is not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main gambling law in the UK, and who regulates it?

The Gambling Act 2005 is the main law for Great Britain, and the Gambling Commission licenses and regulates online casinos under it. Northern Ireland has its own law, the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. Advertising is the Advertising Standards Authority’s job.

Does the Gambling Act 2005 apply to gambling sites based outside Great Britain?

It applies to a provider whose services are used in Great Britain. Since 1 November 2014 section 33 has covered remote gambling even when no equipment is in Great Britain. A provider commits the offence only if it knows, or should know, that people in Great Britain use or are likely to use the service.

Does UK gambling law apply in Northern Ireland?

The Gambling Act 2005 does not; it covers England, Scotland and Wales. Gambling in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter under its own Order of 1985. The Advertising Standards Authority regulates advertising there, and Gamstop is open to people who live there, although it blocks only operators licensed for Great Britain.

How can you check whether a gambling site is licensed?

Search the commission’s public register for the business and compare what it shows with the site. The commission advises checking that the licence details, including activities and website domain names, match the register. Licensed businesses must display that they are licensed and link to the register.

What is the minimum age for online gambling in Great Britain?

Online casino, betting and bingo are for people aged 18 or over. Subscription and low-frequency lotteries run online are the exception, with a minimum age of 16 under the commission’s code. Since 7 May 2019 licensed operators have had to check age and identity before a customer gambles.

Which gambling rules changed in 2025 and 2026?

Game design rules arrived on 17 January 2025, and online slots stake limits of £5 and £2 followed in April and May 2025. New customers were asked to set a financial limit from 31 October 2025. A cap of 10 times on wagering requirements started on 19 January 2026, and financial risk assessments were announced on 7 July 2026.

Sources

Viewed on 9 October 2026:

Viewed on 8 October 2026:

The rules described here are as at 9 October 2026. When UK gambling law changes, this guide changes with it.