The United Kingdom is among the European countries that have legalized gambling activities within their borders. The UK gambling industry grew by 18.1% in 2022 to reach £12.7 billion, making it the biggest market in Europe.

British gambling laws are less strict than most European nations encouraging operators to set up online and physical gambling establishments in the country. There are more than 150 brick-and-mortar casinos across the country, with hundreds of online casinos offering a variety of games to British players.

The UK Gambling Commission, established in 2005, issues licenses and regulates the country’s gambling industry. It monitors and acts on illegal gambling activities. The Gambling Act 2005 spells out the requirements for all gambling licenses and explains what is allowed and prohibited for the gambling business. 

Registering a Casino in the UK

Casinos, physical and online, operating in the UK follow the provisions of the Gambling Act, with the licensing requirements differing depending on the casino size and variety of games offered. Even the nongamstop casino UK must acquire the necessary documents to provide gambling services to the UK market.

Casinos offer a wide range of games and services, such as slot machines, bingo, lotteries, table games, and sports betting, which require a complex certification process when opening a physical establishment or virtual entity. Several licenses are necessary for setting up a casino in Great Britain.

The costs of casino licenses in the UK depend on factors like:

• Size of game selection: Slots, lottery, table games, poker, sports betting, and other casino entertainment require different licenses.
• Number of software developers: Each game developer should have own certificate
• The number of company owners: Each shareholder or beneficiary of the corporation should present documents showing professional gambling experience.

Types of Casino Licenses in the UK

A person contemplating opening a casino in the UK requires operating and personal licenses. You will also need a premises license for the land-based casino and a remote casino operating license for online casinos.

Operating License

Land-based and online casinos require an operating license to offer casino services in the UK. Different active permits are issued for each form of entertainment the casino provides. 

The remote casino operating license authorizes casinos to provide gambling services to gamblers through websites, TV, mobile phones, and other online platforms. Where an online casino has an operational base in another jurisdiction, they still have to apply for an operating license to provide gambling services in the British market. 

The UK Gambling Commission issues the operating license with applicants required to send completed applications to the commission’s website.

Premises Licenses

Premises licenses are issued to the brick-and-mortar casinos operating within the UK’s borders. It grants permission to use facilities for casino businesses or other gambling activities and is administered by local authorities. 

Personal Licenses

These licenses cover key casino personnel and are renewed every five years. Personal licenses are classified into personal functional and individual management licenses. 

Personal Functional Licenses (PFL): This license is issued to casino staff members such as cashiers, couriers, and security personnel. Applicants must be 18 years and above when applying for PFL.

The applicants should provide the following documents during application:

• Phone and email contacts
• Last five years, residential addresses
• Verified identification documents
• UK correspondence address

Personal Management Licenses (PML): Casino management employees such as marketers, planners, IT, and compliance staff should apply for PML. 

The following documents are required from the applicant during application:

• Identity documents
• Passport-sized photo
• Documents proving the identity of the business
• UK contact address

Personal licenses are issued by the UK Gambling Commission and take a few weeks to process.

Casino and other licensed gambling operators are bound by the License Conditions and Codes Practice which requires them to assess money laundering, terrorist financing, and other business risks. A company can lose its operational license if it doesn’t meet these requirements.