This guide is general information about how UK gambling regulation works and is provided for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Regulations and figures change over time, so check the UK Gambling Commission and official sources for the current position before relying on any detail. 18+.
How to Check a Casino Is Licensed
To offer gambling to customers in Great Britain, a casino must hold a licence from the UK Gambling Commission. Checking that a site is properly licensed before you deposit is one of the simplest and most important ways to protect yourself.
Look for the licence details
Licensed operators must display their licensing information, usually in the website footer, including a licence number and a link to their entry on the Gambling Commission’s register. The absence of any such information is a strong warning sign that a site may not be licensed to serve UK players.
Check the public register
The Gambling Commission maintains a public register of licensed businesses. You can look up the operator’s name to confirm the licence is genuine and current. It is worth checking the name on the licence matches the business actually running the site, as some details can differ.
Check the enforcement history
The Commission also publishes a register of its enforcement actions. Searching an operator’s name there shows any formal action taken against it, which gives a fuller picture of how it has behaved. A clean record is a reassuring sign.
Other signs of a licensed site
A genuinely licensed UK casino will also name an approved dispute resolution service, take part in the GAMSTOP self-exclusion scheme, offer deposit limits and other safer-gambling tools, and disclose how your funds are protected. If these are missing, treat the site with caution regardless of how attractive its offers look.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I check if a casino is licensed?
On the UK Gambling Commission's public register of licensed businesses. Look up the operator's name to confirm the licence is genuine and current, and check the displayed licence number matches.
What are the warning signs of an unlicensed site?
No displayed licence number or register link, no named dispute resolution service, no GAMSTOP participation, and no information on how customer funds are protected.
Does a UK licence guarantee I will win?
No. A licence guarantees fair, tested games and consumer protections, not winnings. Casino games always carry a built-in house edge regardless of licensing.
Does a displayed licence number alone prove a site is safe?
A displayed licence number is a good start, but you should confirm it on the Gambling Commission's public register rather than trusting the website's own claim, since text can be copied. Check that the licensed business name matches the operator running the site, and look at the register of enforcement actions for that operator's record. Genuine licensing also comes with a named dispute resolution service, GAMSTOP participation and fund-protection disclosure, so look for those as well.
Related guides: Risks of unlicensed casinos · The UK Gambling Commission · Player fund protection
18+. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money, and you should only stake what you can afford to lose. For free, confidential support, contact the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (run by GamCare, free and open 24/7) or visit BeGambleAware.org. If you want to take a break, GAMSTOP lets you self-exclude from UK-licensed online gambling sites free of charge (begambleaware.org · gamstop.co.uk). Fortune Games operates under UK Gambling Commission licence 39175.