Meet your gambling licensing and regulatory duties

A. Operating licence, personal licences and LCCP

Anyone providing facilities for gambling in the course of a business must hold an operating licence from the Gambling Commission. Separate licence types cover betting, casino, bingo, gaming machines, gambling software, lotteries and remote (online) gambling. Operating without a licence is a criminal offence.

Individuals performing specified management functions need a personal management licence (PML); those in certain operational roles need a personal functional licence (PFL). Holders are subject to fit-and-proper assessment and must report changes to the Commission.

All licensees must comply with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), including social-responsibility code provisions on age verification, self-exclusion (GAMSTOP for remote operators), customer interaction and affordability checks, and safer-gambling messaging. Breach of a licence condition can lead to financial penalties or licence review.

B. Premises licences

If you operate physical gambling premises — a betting shop, casino, bingo hall, adult gaming centre or family entertainment centre — you must hold a premises licence from the local licensing authority (the local council in England and Wales, or the licensing board in Scotland), in addition to your Gambling Commission operating licence. Remote-only operators do not need a premises licence.

The premises licence carries mandatory and default conditions covering layout, gaming-machine entitlements, age restrictions and the three licensing objectives: keeping gambling crime-free, ensuring it is conducted fairly and openly, and protecting children and vulnerable people. The number of casino premises licences is capped under the Gambling Act 2005.

C. Gambling duties

Gambling operators must register with HMRC for the relevant gambling duty and file periodic returns. The duties are: General Betting Duty, Pool Betting Duty, Remote Gaming Duty (Finance Act 2014, Part 3), Gaming Duty (casinos), Bingo Duty, Machine Games Duty and Lottery Duty (Betting and Gaming Duties Act 1981 and subsequent Finance Acts). Duty is charged on profits or stakes depending on the activity. The gambling duties regime applies UK-wide and is separate from the Gambling Commission licensing regime.

D. Anti-money-laundering supervision (casinos)

Casinos are 'relevant persons' under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017. The Gambling Commission supervises casinos for anti-money-laundering compliance. If you operate a casino you must carry out a written risk assessment, apply customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence, appoint a nominated officer (money-laundering reporting officer), train staff and report suspicious activity to the National Crime Agency. Non-casino gambling activities are not within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations, although all operators remain subject to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the LCCP anti-money-laundering provisions.