Withdrawn Changes to the regulatory framework for land-based casinos: draft secondary legislation
Category C machines, which have a maximum stake of £1 and a maximum prize of £100, can only be played by adults in certain venues, such as pubs, betting shops, arcades and bingo halls. Firstly, it would split family groups, requiring adults who wish to play these machines to leave the group playing on non-gambling products. Industry responses highlighted that it is disproportionate to require that these machines be moved to an age-restricted area for 2 key reasons. For example, Bacta commented that ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style machines are substantially different from harder gambling slot machines, and are better described as fruit machines or amusement with prizes machines.
Therefore, the government’s position is to consult on what principles and player protections should be put in place to support any relaxation of the rules around playing gaming machines with a debit card. Permitting cashless in a targeted way, for example allowing debit cards to be used to pay for particular types of gaming machines or machines in certain types of venues, would not provide clarity on the principles and player protections required within a cashless framework. Over this same period, the weighted average weekly income from gaming machines for Landlord & Tenant pubs fell from around £215 to approximately £190, whilst for Managed pubs this fell from around £230 to approximately £180. Between 2019 and 2021, there was a decrease in the percentage of Landlord & Tenant pubs with gaming machines (from 60% to just over 40%), as well as a decrease in the percentage of Managed pubs with gaming machines (from 80% to around 65%).
It is recommended that applicants make clear what changes are to be made to the layout and content of the gambling offer. If those changes are made in the future, then operators would be able to access these provisions after they come into effect. A licensed casino operator in Scotland wishes to take advantage of the new entitlements. Regulation 3 of the Gambling Act 2005 (Mandatory and Default Conditions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (opens in new tab) requires the layout of the premises to be maintained in accordance with the plan. A range of gambling activities are already authorised by the Act, by existing Regulations and some are further added by the new Regulations which came into force on 22 July 2025.
An “economic crime levy” is payable by entities that are regulated for anti-money laundering purposes (currently only casinos in the UK) and which generate more than £10.2 million in UK revenue. It should be noted that in April 2025 HM Treasury opened a consultation (which closed on 21 July 2025) on a proposal to introduce a single remote gambling duty that would apply to all remote gambling activities targeting the UK. 15% of the commission charges charged by betting exchanges to users who are UK citizens Operating licences are generally indefinite, subject to paying annual fees.
In order to slow the speed of direct cashless transactions and provide a break in play, the government proposes that there should be a minimum transaction time for players making direct cashless payment transactions on gaming machines. What should the maximum transaction value be for direct cashless payments on gaming machines? Should card account verification (such as chip and PIN or Face ID on mobile payment systems) be required if direct cashless payments are permitted on gaming machines? The authorisation required by the account holder in these systems mitigates against the risk of cashless payments facilitating crime through stolen cards being used on gaming machines. The risk would be that some forms of direct cashless payment (such as contactless) lack account verification and could allow stolen cards to be used on gaming machines.
When asked about the likely impact of the proposed changes, if a new regime were to take effect with the proposed new maximum of 80 gaming machines, the majority of operators (88%) stated they would look to move onto this regime. We will allow direct debit card payments to be made on gaming machines, subject to the player protection measures outlined within this government response. For example, safer gambling functionality is now available and widely used on many gaming machines. The remote casino operating licence allows you to offer casino games to customers via a website, mobile phone, TV or other online service.
By contrast, licensing authorities and respondents from the third sector tended to highlight the risk of increased gambling-related harm as a result of increasing commercial flexibility for businesses. In general, responses received from gambling industry respondents typically argued for the most liberalised position across the range of measures outlined in the consultation. We received 87 responses to the land-based gambling consultation.
For example, as previously highlighted, evidence provided by Bacta shows that the average stake placed on a Category B3 game is between £1.20 – £1.30, compared to 40p – 60p for a Category C machine. Under such circumstances, and given the relatively higher stakes and losses set out in the rationale for change, there is the potential for gambling-related harm to increase. Multi-staking category B cabinets provide customers with the choice of staking at different levels and therefore below the maximum stake permitted. However, over the longer term, some industry representatives have suggested that operators would likely further reduce their number of Category C and D cabinets in favour of multi-staking Category B cabinets. Unlike Option 1, it would be much more difficult for an operator to increase the number of B3 cabinets on their premises by increasing the number of Category C or D in-fills and tablets that they site. The equalising of these machine types may come at significant costs for some businesses.
Our experts test and review casino, betting, and bingo sites so you don’t play in a bodged-up joint that’s all mouth and no trousers. Bojoko is your home for all online gambling in the United Kingdom. The UKGC is a strict licensor and regulator, meaning that licensed casinos must be provably safe. You can tell if a casino has a UK licence by checking the bottom of the casino website. You can find UK licensed casinos by using reputable sources, such as Bojoko, which has casino experts who review and verify each casino personally. Having a valid UKGC gambling license is a requirement for operating a gambling website that allows British players to join.
Responsible Gambling in 2025: Protecting Players & Building Trust in Gaming
A ‘mixed session’ is a single session that takes place on games of different machine categories. These rates are lower than the majority of other gambling products, although non gamstop casino remain above the at-risk and problem gambling rates for ‘any gambling activity’. These represent transition costs which are expected to be incurred in the first few years of implementation, with exact timescales depending on the option taken forward.
To be issued with a casino operating licence the applicant must follow a rigorous application process. There are several types of operating licence and this depends on the nature of the gambling that the operator wishes to make available. An operating licence is required for anyone who wishes to make facilities for gambling available. Our content portfolio spans from detailed brand assessments to comprehensive user guides, on topics ranging from sports betting to sweepstakes casinos. You can even get started right now if you wish, as this page contains links to some of the best and licensedonline casinos that you can use in the UK.
Licence activities
Always check both of these numbers when choosing a casino. The payout rate is basically how much of your wagered cash you’ll get back from a casino over time. The RTP (Return to Player) and payout rate can tell you a lot about how player-friendly a casino is. UK casino guidance built around practical checks, not headline hype.
Player protections can be used to mitigate increases in the risk of gambling harm. Therefore, the risk of increased gambling harm is assumed to be higher for Options 1 and 3 than Option 2. This increase is expected to be higher under Option 1 than Option 2, as operators will not be restricted by device constraints. Data on net expenditure per session shows that from April to September 2019, the vast majority of sessions across all machine categories ended in the player either winning money or losing up to £20.
Convenience and targeting: Lessons for gambling policy reform.
An application is lodged to the licensing authority along with details of the layout of the premises and so on. For obvious reasons, if the business intention is to provide facilities non-remotely then a premises will need to be secured. Once an operating licence is granted, it can be varied by application, to very the terms of a condition. Underlying the operation of a casino licence is a document known as the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice. Any operating licence will be granted subject to a considerable number of conditions.
The draft Casinos Regulations form part of a package of interlinked statutory instruments which amend the regulatory framework for land-based casinos. Guidance for complying with gaming machine technical standards. The Secretary of State will, by order, determine the locations of the new casinos after consulting Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Assembly. 457.This section sets an initial limit of 1 regional casino, and 8 small and 8 large casinos. Part 10 of the Act contains provisions on when such equipment counts as a gaming machine. 451.These regulations can also specify when tables, which are linked together by electronic means for example, are to count as a single table for the purpose of machine entitlements under this section.
- The consultation asked the following questions on ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style machines.
- As already mentioned, you should always play at a UK Gambling Commission licensed online casino.
- Non-remote gaming machine technical – software operating licence
- We will also amend the current inconsistency in the regulations which requires Small 2005 Act casinos to have a table gaming area of at least 500sqm (identical to their minimum overall gambling area) by reducing this requirement to 250sqm.
- The authorisations required may include a remote betting operating licence (required if customers are to be able to bet via Self-Service Betting Terminals), as well as a non-remote betting operating licence.
This is a dedicated UK casino comparison page, built to help you evaluate legal, UKGC-licensed online casinos based on key features like UKGC License, UK specific bonuses and more. Here you will find all UKGC licensed online casinos currently available in the UK. Welcome to online.casino UK, your online casino comparison guide for playing at online casinos in the UK. This licence allows you to offer casino games to customers via a website, mobile phone, TV or other online service.
The additional annual cost per premises is an average across all premises types and in reality, will differ depending on the type of licence held. The additional annual cost per premises and the total additional annual funding for licensing authorities has been estimated using existing premises numbers. We believe it is appropriate to increase these fees so that local authorities can cover the costs of their gambling licensing and enforcement activity, and increase activity where needed. They are therefore essential for ensuring that licensing authorities can properly regulate gambling in their areas.
As highlighted in Chapter 2 of the land-based gambling consultation, we are aware that Category B gaming machines on average result in greater customer losses per session than Category C and D gaming machines. However, some licensing authorities posited that rather than removing lower staking machines, gambling operators should be deploying novel solutions to saving energy, such as incorporating standby and sleep functions on machines which are not in use. However, even when accounting for device type (i.e. cabinet, in-fill or tablet), the responses suggest that Category C and D gaming machines generate less GGY than Category B machines. Industry responses suggested that the projected uplift in GGY under Options 1 and 3, and conversely, the decrease or no impact in GGY under Option 2, corresponds directly with the ability to site Category B gaming machines.
New or inexperienced individuals who are not familiar with the casino industry or the law would struggle considerably to obtain these licences without proper guidance and independent legal advice. The cost of seeking the correct licences for the first time can be very high and there are ongoing fees to be paid once a gambling licence is in place. The licensing of casinos is perhaps the most complex aspect of licensing law in the UK due to the rarity of application and unique legal and technical know-how that is required. However, licences can be suspended or revoked where material is brought to the attention of the Gambling Commission or the licensing authority. Once either an operating or premises licence is in force, there is an annual fee to pay.
This decision is to be taken by the licensing authority as a whole, and may not be delegated to the licensing committee under sections 154 and 155. Where the licensing authority grants an application, a person who made representations may appeal. The period of time within which representations must be made will be prescribed in regulations. 430.Responsible authorities and interested parties may make representations in writing to a licensing authority about a particular application.
The objective of providing customers with a genuine choice of higher and lower stake machines is understood in terms of providing a safeguard against increased gambling harm. Gaming machines account for a significant proportion of energy costs, a substantial number of which are sited by operators purely to meet the 80/20 rule. 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. 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 SI has the effect of adding a new condition to all remote casino operating licences. No, only those online casinos and betting sites that hold the UKGC licence can promote their business in the UK. Find out how to comply with your anti-money laundering (AML) responsibilities if you’re operating a gambling business in the regulated sector (remote and non-remote casinos). The Act allows for casino premises licences to be varied, for example, a change to the layout plan, and also to be transferred from one party to another, although the incoming party would require to hold an operating licence.
For example, a casino with two premises licences that meets the size and physical separation requirements could site 160 machines – more than a Large 2005 Act casino. In these instances, the parent premises may be adjoined by an ‘electric casino’ that consists largely of gaming machines with a very limited table offer. As set out in the white paper, the availability of gaming machines in British casinos is also very low compared to international jurisdictions, and an increase will help to meet the expectations of overseas visitors.