How to check a gambling licence — and what a licence does not tell you

A framed blank certificate with a magnifying glass — checking a licence on the public register

Every gambling site legally offered to customers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission, and every licence is on a public register you can search in a minute. The check is worth doing because an unlicensed site is outside every protection described on this site — no ADR, no GAMSTOP, no rules on withdrawals.

Last reviewed: 21 September 2026 · Author: Eleanor Whitlock

Step 1: read the footer

A GB-licensed site must state that it is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission and link to its entry on the register. The statement names the licensee — the company holding the licence — which is often not the brand name on the site. Note the company name and, if shown, the account number.

If the footer names a different regulator only (Curaçao, Malta, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man) and no Gambling Commission licence, the site is not licensed for Great Britain, whatever its other licences say.

Step 2: search the public register

Go to the Commission's public register (gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-register) and search by the company name or account number. The entry shows:

Licence status — active, suspended, surrendered or revoked.
Activities — casino, bingo, betting, lottery; remote or non-remote.
Domain names attached to the licence. The brand you are looking at should be listed here. If it is not, the licence statement in its footer may be borrowed.
Regulatory actions — published sanctions and settlements, with dates.

Suspended is not the same as revoked: a suspended licensee may not take new business but usually must still pay out balances.

Step 3: match the domain

Because of white labels, one licence can carry dozens of domains. The test is simple: the domain in your address bar must appear on the licence you found. A near-miss — brand.com on the licence, brand-uk.net in the address bar — is a warning sign, not a clerical detail.

What a licence does not tell you

Whether the terms are good. A licence sets minimum standards for fairness and transparency; it does not rate an operator's bonus terms, game selection or support.
Whether withdrawals are fast. The licence forbids unreasonable barriers to withdrawal; it does not set a timescale.
Whether the brand is run well. On a white label licence, the day-to-day is run by a partner; the register shows the licensee's record, not the partner's.
Whether a game's RTP is high. RTS 3 requires disclosure of the return; it does not set a floor.

Two checks that take ten more seconds

Is the site on GAMSTOP? All GB licensees must be. A site advertising "not on GAMSTOP" is advertising that it is unlicensed for Great Britain. See GAMSTOP.
Does it accept credit cards? GB licensees cannot. See the credit card ban.

Quick answers

The register shows the licence but the site looks different from the licensee's own site. Normal for a white label. The licensee remains responsible.

What if a site claims a licence that the register shows as surrendered? Report it to the Commission through the contact form on its site, and do not deposit.

Is a Malta or Gibraltar licence worthless? Not in its own jurisdiction. It simply does not authorise business with customers in Great Britain.

Sources: Gambling Commission, public register; Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, licence condition 8.1.1 — display of licensed status.