Casino Premises Changes to Legislation

The government understands some of the arguments put forward by industry, particularly about the potential impact on player behaviour if net position and time was permanently on display on the machine. Industry also stated that it is a different environment to online gambling where this information can be displayed at all times without impacting the customer’s privacy or influencing other player’s behaviours. This work could then feed into the messaging that is displayed on machines. This will ensure that the breaks designed to allow customers to make more informed or dispassionate decisions about their gambling are supplemented by safer gambling messaging and not used for any other purposes, such as promotional offers. This research recommended that the use of personalised messaging based on an individual’s own patterns of gambling may be more effective than generic messages.

Others cited research which has been undertaken on safer gambling messaging, including from the Behavioural Insights Team and the Personal Finance Research Centre (University of Bristol). Some respondents from outside of industry stated that safer gambling messages should be designed independently of industry and that some of the existing industry-led safer gambling messages are ineffective. Responses from industry stated that messaging similar to that which is already in place for cash transactions should be put in place, encouraging customers to take regular breaks, set and stick to budgets and to talk to staff and use player management tools. The overwhelming thrust of responses was that any messaging should be based on evidence.

However, some research has been undertaken in addition to the PwC report; for example, the European Commission in 2017 estimated that illegal sports betting accounted for 2.2% of the total online sports betting market in the UK. Secondly, until its recent fees uplift, the Gambling Commission’s resources for responding to the black market were concentrated on acting on complaints and intelligence with a risk-based approach. Responses from some campaign groups, Parliamentarians and academics strongly disagreed and said that the industry was exaggerating the size of the illegal market in order to deter the government from imposing tighter restrictions on the licensed gambling sector. Combined with the changes the Commission has made following its consultation on licensing and enforcement and the legislative changes we have proposed, it will be better enabled through its powers to penalise operators who have not abided by the law.

Generally, gambling licences are either “remote” or “non-remote”. From 31 October 2025 all gambling businesses must prompt their customers to set a financial limit before they make their first deposit and make it easy to review and alter this limit at any point after. New rules will give consumers more effective ways to manage their gambling by making it easier to set and maintain deposit limits on their online accounts, in ways that work best for them. The licences come with certain conditions designed to protect gamblers including clearly displaying the odds and return to player percentage (RTP) of each game. AGCs and FECs require gambling licences from the Gambling Commission while UFECs only require a local permit. There are also rules around where bricks and mortar casinos can be located and what kinds of casino games they’re allowed to offer.

Protections applied by the consumer

However, online bingo will still fall under Remote Gaming Duty, and operators must continue to meet Gambling Commission regulations. For players, the levy funds research, prevention, and treatment for gambling harm, so clearer rules help ensure funding is calculated correctly. Following a review, the levy now applies only to gambling revenue generated from Great Britain customers, not income earned from overseas markets. For players, it is intended to ensure machines on the market meet regulatory standards and operate fairly. The goal is to ensure the Commission understands who owns and finances gambling businesses, helping reduce risks linked to crime or financial misconduct.

This is outlined in Gambling Commission licence conditions, and the broader requirements under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — both enforced by the ICO. To reduce the potential risks of bonus offers, the Gambling Commission will consult further on appropriate action, considering issues such as maximum caps on wagering requirements and minimum time limits before offers expire. However, re-wagering requirements are still often set at high thresholds — for example, a bonus of £10 with a 50x wagering requirement requires the customer to bet £500, and the funds, including any winnings, can often expire after a given time limit — often as brief as seven days. Operators told us such schemes in land-based venues are important because they improve the customer experience which is inherent to their business model. These are typically low value, using loyalty schemes with no personalised account management; for instance, ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’, ‘Acca Boost’ or ‘Fail to Finish’ promotions which allow customers to get money back if a horse fails to finish. In bingo and adult gaming centres, promotions generally consist of small scale incentives/ rewards such as introductory offers for new products, free teas and coffees, or free games.

• All licensed online operators must provide customers with a range of tools to help them gamble safely, such as gambling activity statements, ‘time out’ functionality, and facilities to set limits on spend.
• However, evidence from these groups was typically directed towards other areas of the Review such as online player protection, children and young people, and advertising.
• Name, address and date of birth are checked against electronic data; further documents (passport, driving licence, utility bill) are requested if the electronic check fails.
• The measures we are announcing will protect at-risk players, while allowing the millions who bet regularly to do so unhindered.

Responses from industry advocated for either no increase in the maximum chargeable premises fees or a small increase of 10%. This may include increasing staff numbers, with one licensing authority stating that it would consider dedicating one full-time resource to the enforcement of licensed premises. This was reflected by licensing authority responses in regards to how much the maximum premises fee should be raised by. In response to the questions as to how much annual funding is needed for administration and enforcement of licences, the average amount stated by licensing authorities was £45,000. The majority of licensing authorities advocated for the maximum proposed premises fee increase of 30%. Following analysis, we propose to increase the maximum premises fees chargeable by licensing authorities by 15%.

We welcome the significant contributions industry has made to research, education and treatment (RET) since the introduction of the Gambling Act, and the substantial increase in funding the largest gambling operators have made available for treatment in recent years. The threat of an online gambling black market does not mean we should avoid tightening controls on licensed operators. We welcome that some major online platforms have introduced the facility for customers to opt-out of all gambling adverts, and strongly encourage others to do so. We want customers to have greater control over the types of marketing they receive, such as opting-in for online bonuses and offers for different types of gambling products. In a sector with a known addiction risk, the online data-driven targeting of certain individuals with promotional offers to encourage further spending presents risks because it actively encourages individuals to incur non gamstop sites larger and larger losses.

The Gambling Commission raised concerns that arcade and bingo venues have sought to maximise their number of Category B machines under the current rules by providing Category C and D gaming on tablets and in-fill machines. As outlined in the white paper, we strongly encourage operators to continue to improve player safety controls on Category B3 machines. In addition, we noted that some player safety improvements have been made to modern Category B3 machines which cannot easily be replicated on older machines, and that customers can and do play at lower stakes than the maximum on Category B3 machines. As above, 1968 Act casinos will retain the option of continuing to operate under the existing regime should they not wish to increase their machine allocations. Premises licence fees are collected by licensing authorities for applications and annual renewals to cover the cost of administration of their gambling duties and gambling enforcement. Currently, annual fees for 1968 Act casinos are between 65% and 90% of the annual fees that 2005 Act casinos in the equivalent fee category are required to pay.

The ADR provider’s name and contact details must be listed in the casino’s terms and conditions. If the casino fails to resolve your complaint within 8 weeks, or if you are unsatisfied with their response, you can escalate the matter to the casino’s designated ADR provider. Keep records of all communications, including dates, reference numbers, and the names of agents you speak with. Contact the casino’s customer support team and formally raise your complaint. If you believe a UKGC-licensed casino has treated you unfairly, you have a clear process for seeking resolution. These requirements exist to prevent underage gambling, which is one of the UKGC’s primary objectives.

If I can’t play seamlessly on my 3-year-old phone, that casino doesn’t make the cut. Let’s be real – a good bonus can be the difference between an average casino experience and an epic one. Pragmatic Play, Games Global (Microgaming), Hacksaw Gaming, Evolution, Push Gaming, and Elk Studios. We verify every license against the official UKGC database — you’d be shocked how many sites try to fake it. We deposit, we play, and we judge based on actual experience. Every UK casino site that makes it onto our list goes through a hands-on, real-money testing process.

Estimates suggest that there are approximately 300,000 problem gamblers in the UK – and problem gambling rates are higher for players in online casino games than those playing in bingo halls, casinos and pubs. People at risk of gambling-related harm will be better protected under government plans to update betting rules for the digital age. Gamblingpedia UK reviews online casinos through an editorial team process rather than individual persona-based reviews. We only list casinos that are regulated by trusted authorities, ensuring fair play, data protection, and tools for responsible gaming. Recent regulatory changes introduce new stake limits, stronger financial risk checks, and tougher rules for operators, all aimed at reducing harm and improving transparency in gambling. Legal gambling examples include Bet365, William Hill, and other UKGC-licensed operators offering sports betting, casino games, and lottery products with full consumer protections.

Registration was the fastest of any site I tested this round — under two minutes including ID upload. Not the strongest casino bonus, but the breadth of the offering makes up for it. Sign-up and a £30 deposit via Skrill took about four minutes including the new-account ID check. The £15 minimum deposit and acceptance of Skrill and Neteller — which a chunk of UKGC operators dropped in 2024 — broaden the audience.

Some respondents used this section of the consultation to further highlight their opposition to the minimum table gaming area requirement. • Lobby areas and toilet facilities may be taken into account but the non-gambling area shall not consist exclusively of lobby areas and toilet facilities. • Facilities for gambling cannot be provided in the non-gambling area.

This will ensure all those experiencing the varying degrees of gambling-related harms are able to access the support they need when they need it. Lessons will be learned from other successful data centres in the UK, including the UK Data Service, Consumer Data Research Centre at the University of Leeds, and the Urban Big Data Centre, another ESRC investment at the University of Glasgow. As the Gambling Commission’s funding increases, and in turn its capacity to require provision of and analyse data from operators, it will consider how this data could be made available in anonymised form for use by researchers. We recognise that data is also essential for measuring industry compliance in a meaningful and foresighted way. Understanding whether some gambling products, behaviours or environments are more harmful than others can inform interventions and policy to minimise gambling-related harms and promote safer gambling practices.

Money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment

Regulation 4 reduces the minimum size of the table gaming area in small casinos from 500. The Act establishes the Commission as the supervisory authority for casinos, granting them the power to provide guidance that assists operators in meeting regulatory requirements. In addition, there is a third category of casino that is permitted through transitional arrangements under Schedule 18 of the Act, which may be referred to as 1968 Act converted casinos.

The Gambling Commission collects data on the outcome of individual gaming machine sessions (e.g. whether customers have won or lost overall and their net position). Legislation was subsequently enacted to reduce the maximum permitted stake on B2 gaming machines from £100 to £2, from April 2019. Debit card payments, including contactless, have emerged as an alternative to cash in the wider retail economy, but gambling premises have largely remained cash-based. Secondary legislation (the Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) Regulations 2007) prohibits the use of debit cards for direct payment on gaming machines, and prohibits any use of credit cards. Members’ clubs and miners’ welfare institutes may offer up to three gaming machines if they hold a club gaming permit (CGP) or a club machine permit (CMP).

(Regulation 3 of the 2009 Regulations addresses when a gaming table is to be treated as being used in a casino at a particular time.) Licensees must have and put into effect policies and procedures intended to promote socially responsible gambling, including the specific policies and procedures required by the provisions of section 3 of this code. 2Note that in respect of special category personal data, a further specific basis for processing would also be required. In some cases (for instance, where we are investigating a licensee’s compliance with its social responsibility and anti-money laundering requirements as a result of a gambler stealing funds for gambling over a prolonged period of time), this may involve requesting account data which goes back a substantial period. Under GDPR, data subjects may request that their personal data (including data which may be relevant to regulatory compliance) is erased.

This activity may include inspecting premises to ensure that they are complying with their licence or dealing with complaints from residents or neighbours. In essence, the ‘aim to permit’ means that gambling should be permitted unless there is a valid reason why it should not be, but controls may be introduced as necessary to minimise risk. Section 153 specifically prevents licensing authorities from using expected demand for a gambling facility as a factor in making a decision. Licensing authorities must consult the local police, local gambling operators and people likely to be affected by the statement.

Remote licence types

In the meantime, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has provided us with an informal evaluation of some of the measures which were voluntarily adopted by most operators in September 2020. While we cannot preempt the outcomes of the Gambling Commission’s review, strengthening the verification procedures for gambling accounts (for instance by matching payment information) should bring benefits for all parties. For instance, we welcome the steps taken by some operators to introduce enhanced security measures, such as multi-factor authentication. With new payment regulations now in force, the Commission can reassess this issue and determine whether new requirements for licensees might be justified to address the risks identified above. SCA has now come fully into force, so card-based e-commerce transactions that are non-compliant should now be declined.

Pre-commitment tools can significantly reduce harm for some and are on the whole unlikely to cause problems for others. Adjusting how they are provided, such as on an opt-out basis or with the input of behavioural science, builds incrementally on the existing requirements, which we expect will reduce implementation costs for industry. A number cited a report by Revealing Reality which provided insights for how the use of safer gambling controls can be normalised as a preventative measure, using the analogy of a seatbelt to show the benefits this could bring.

We want all licensed operators to provide access to the ombudsman to ensure all customers are protected equally. The information that the ombudsman collates through complaints will also help the Commission in planning its enforcement activity and industry to inform processes and support vulnerable customers. The body would adjudicate complaints relating to social responsibility or gambling harm where an operator is not able to resolve these. We will look at how industry, working with all stakeholders in the sector, can create an ombudsman that is fully operationally independent in line with Ombudsman Association standards, and is credible with customers. Between Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers and the Gambling Commission’s contact centre, approximately 2,000 customer complaints per year relate to social responsibility, gambling harm and safer gambling. As the Commission’s process for requesting datasets from across the sector to support its regulatory purposes reaches a sufficient level of maturity, greater researcher access to this suitably packaged and anonymised data will lead to new areas of — and approaches to — research on gambling.

Visitors of SuperCasinoSites should keep in mind gambling can be highly addictive and as such, should always be approached responsibly and with due measure. According to UKGC research, roughly 22% of online gamblers who use credit cards can be classified as problem gamblers. They cannot promise guaranteed winnings or suggest that gambling can solve financial or personal problems. For example, gambling ads may not target children or young people under 18. It is a self-regulatory body, meaning its operations are funded not by the government but by a voluntary industry levy.