Guide
How to check a casino's UK licence on the Gambling Commission register
A step-by-step way to confirm a casino is licensed in Great Britain, and what the account number, status and domain list on the register tell you.
To check whether a casino is licensed in Great Britain, find the Gambling Commission account number in its footer or terms, then look that number up on the Commission's public register. The register shows the licence holder, whether each licence is active, which activities it covers and which domains the business has notified. UK licensed casinos are the only ones allowed to offer gambling to customers in Great Britain, so this two-minute check is worth doing before you open any account.
18+ only. A licence means the operator must follow GB rules on age checks, limits and GAMSTOP; the responsible gambling page explains those tools.
Step one: find the licence statement
Licensed operators state their licence on the site, usually in the footer and in the terms and conditions. Magical Vegas, for example, says it is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission under account number 57924. Note the account number and the name of the company that holds the licence, which is often different from the brand name.
If you cannot find a statement naming the Gambling Commission and an account number, treat that as a warning in itself.
Step two: look the business up on the public register
The register is free and open to anyone on the Commission's official website, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, with no hyphen in the address. You can search for a business there, and each business has its own page, and the address follows a fixed pattern: gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-register/business/detail/ followed by the account number. Account 57924 therefore has its page at the address ending /detail/57924.
Working from the account number is the most reliable route, because several companies can have similar names.
What the register entry shows
| Field | What to check |
|---|---|
| Licence holder and account number | Match the company and number in the casino's footer |
| Licence numbers and status | Status should read Active, not Surrendered, Revoked or Pending |
| Activities and start dates | A remote casino licence for casino games; bingo and betting are separate licences |
| Trading names and domains | The site you are on should appear among the notified domains or trading names |
| Head office address | Where the licence holder is based |
| Regulatory action | Any sanctions the Commission has published against the business |
Account number or licence number?
The account number identifies the business. One account can hold several licences, for example casino and betting. Each licence then has its own longer number, such as 055149-R-331499-004: the first block is the account number padded to six digits and the R means remote (N is used for non-remote). That example is the remote casino licence of Hillside (UK Gaming) ENC, account 55149, active from 17 October 2019; bet365 trades under that account. When a site quotes "licence number" with only five digits, it usually means the account number.
One licence, several brands
A brand can operate on another company's licence, often called a white label. The register lists such brands as trading names or domains of the licence holder, and responsibility for compliance stays with the licence holder. Rank Interactive (Gibraltar) Limited, account 57924, is an example: Magical Vegas, Bella Casino and Mecca Games all sit under the same account. When you complain or check a brand's record, it is the licence holder whose entry counts. The sister sites guide explains how shared licences link brands.
Warning signs during a licence check
- No account number on the site, or one that does not exist on the register.
- The account exists but the site's domain is not among its notified domains or trading names.
- The licence status is Surrendered, Revoked or still Pending.
- The only licence shown is a remote casino (game host) licence. That is a business-to-business licence for hosting games for other operators, not a licence to take bets from the public.
- The licence covers betting or bingo only while the site offers casino games. Each type of gambling needs its own remote operating licence.
Providing gambling facilities without the required licence is an offence under the Gambling Act 2005, and since the 2014 Act any remote operator whose gambling can be used in Great Britain needs a Commission licence. Gambling Commission rules apply in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has a different regime.
New UK licensed casinos
A new UK licensed casino can be a new company with a newly granted licence, or a new brand added to an existing licensee. In the second case the register shows the brand's domain under an established account. Either way, the same check applies, and the start date of the licence shows how long the holder has been licensed. The new casino sites page lists recently launched brands, and every operator reviewed on this site has been checked against the register; how we rate casinos explains the rest of the method.
UK-licensed casinos, ranked by our score
Order = score out of 10. Every operator holds a Gambling Commission licence.
| # | Casino | Score | Welcome offer and significant terms | Payments | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place 1 |  Magical VegasRank Interactive (Gibraltar) Limited | Score: 8.1 out of 10, very good | 100 bonus spins after a £10 deposit and £10 stake Significant terms Min deposit £10 and £10 stake; Paysafecard excluded; 10x wagering; max win £200; spins on The Goonies Quest for Treasure Jackpot King |
| Visit Magical Vegas (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Magical Vegas |
| Place 2 |  Mecca GamesRank Interactive (Gibraltar) Limited | Score: 7.8 out of 10, good | £20 bonus and 50 bonus spins after a £10 deposit Significant terms Min deposit £10, Paysafecard excluded; £20 bonus 10x wagering on selected games, max win £50; 50 bonus spins on Kong 3 Even Bigger Bonus, 10x wagering, max win £50 |
| Visit Mecca Games (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Mecca Games |
| Place 3 |  Bella CasinoRank Interactive (Gibraltar) Limited | Score: 7.9 out of 10, good | 100 bonus spins on Kong 3 Even Bigger Bonus when you deposit and stake £10 Significant terms New players; min deposit £10 (Paysafecard excluded) and £10 stake on Kong 3 Even Bigger Bonus; 10x wagering; max win £200 |
| Visit Bella Casino (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Bella Casino |
| Place 4 |  bet365Hillside (UK Gaming) ENC | Score: 6.4 out of 10, fair | No welcome offer listed in the terms we read. | Not listed | Visit bet365 (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: bet365 |
Ad We may earn a commission if you open an account through links on this page; it does not change our scores or the order of operators. How we score · Advertising disclosure
Questions readers ask
How do I know if a casino is licensed in the UK?
Find the Gambling Commission account number on the site, then search for it on the Commission's public register and check that the licence is active and the site's domain is listed.
What is the difference between an account number and a licence number?
The account number identifies the business. Each licence it holds has a longer number that begins with the account number padded to six digits.
Is the Gambling Commission register free to use?
Yes. Anyone can search it on gamblingcommission.gov.uk, and each licensed business has a page found by its account number.
Can two casinos share one licence?
Yes. Several brands can trade under one licence holder, which stays responsible for compliance across all of them.
Does a UK licence apply in Northern Ireland?
Gambling Commission licensing under the Gambling Act 2005 covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland has a separate regime.