How To Obtain a Casino Licence

If you want to begin operating a business profiting from remote gambling online in the UK, you must be aware that of regulations managed by the government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport. This requires you to visit the Gambling Commission website and apply for a number of licences, depending on whether you intend to operate online only or if you have physical premises.

There are several extra types of licence you may need with actual premises, including a premises licence from your local licensing authority on top of possibly needing three licences from the Gambling Commission (UKGC): they are an Operating Licence and two Personal Licences, a Personal Management Licence and a Personal Functional Licence. It is a criminal offence to commercially take bets or offer a betting exchange service without the correct licences unless you have not advertised to consumers in Britain at all.

How To Apply For a Licence

You will need to apply online through the Gambling Commission website for an Operating Licence first. You will need to prove the business is fit to hold the licence, which requires evidence about the people involved, the financing and copies of policies and procedures which show you comply with the Gambling Act and Licensing Codes and Conditions of Practice (LCCPs). The rules differ based on what type of gambling you offer, for instance so you will need to check very carefully or get extra advice at this stage. You should understand at this point that this can get very expensive, as it is likely to cost over £20,000 to hire a consultant to handle the entire process.

You should be very careful and get everything you need together before applying. It can take four months for them to respond and you will have to try again from the beginning if they reject you.

What Happens if You Get a Licence?

Once a licence is issued, there are ongoing updates you must send to the Gambling Commission. You may well want to retain a management company to handle this consistently, which can cost over £1,000 a month. There are also annual fees, which will depend on factors like annual gross receipts and number of establishments under the licences.

One of the more common faqs from gambling consumers is what can happen if the licence is breached. The Gambling Commission can also visit premises to check compliance after granting a licence, so you will always be at risk of the Licence being revoked if you do not follow the LCCPs and your licence conditions. One area they are particularly strict for example is anti-money laundering, reporting and keeping the appropriate procedures and controls in place is the responsibility of the operator, especially with casinos as they had extra requirements introduced in 2007.

If you intend to run online slots games, there was a Gambling Commission consultation leading to much stricter rules being announced on 03 February 2021. They will slow spin speeds down and ban anything praising a loss as a win or allowing the user to speed up the play. Online operators have until 31 October 2021 to fully implement these measures.

Verdict on UKGC Licences

The full details of the licencing procedure is on the UKGC website. It is well worth studying that if you are unsure about anything. It can be an expensive procedure to acquire a licence but once you have one it will be so rewarding both financially and enjoyment wise. It must be great to know that thousands of people enjoy playing in your casino, as well as knowing that you will make consistent long term profit thanks to the house edge.