Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the Gambling Commission's decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a gambling license in the UK.
The Gambling Commission licenses remote gambling for Great Britain, a market that produced £8.3 billion of remote gambling yield in the year to March 2026. The price went up twice in 2026. Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% of gaming profits on 1 April, and a new fee table, about 25% higher overall, took effect on 1 October. The licence has no fixed term and needs no British company. It also stops at Great Britain: Northern Ireland is outside it.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
The UK in brief
A point-of-consumption licence that stops at the Irish Sea.
The Gambling Act 2005 (c. 19) is the statute, and the Gambling Commission in Birmingham applies it. Section 65 lists ten types of operating licence, gambling software among them. Under section 67 a licence is remote when it covers gambling by remote communication, and a remote licence cannot also authorise non-remote activity. Since 1 November 2014 the test has been point of consumption: s.36(3), as amended by the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014, catches any operator whose facilities are used in Great Britain, wherever its servers sit. Section 69 lets any person apply. It asks for a UK address for service, the fee and a declaration of relevant convictions, with no incorporation or residence test. The licence has no fixed term (s.110), subject to an annual fee due before each anniversary of issue. The Commission lists 16 weeks as its processing time and says that is not guaranteed.
The price of entry moved twice in 2026. Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% of gaming profits on 1 April, and the Commission's fee table went up about 25% overall on 1 October: a remote casino in the lowest band now pays £8,185 to apply and £7,000 a year, and the top annual fee passes £1.45 million. Remote general betting duty is due to go from 15% to 25% on 1 April 2027. Product rules are tight too - £5 slot stakes for customers aged 25 and over, £2 for 18-24s, a 10x wagering cap since 19 January 2026. What the money buys is access to £8.3 billion of remote yield (April 2025 to March 2026). One limit is geographic. The licence ends at Great Britain, and Northern Ireland, regulated under a 1985 Order, has no online licence at all. We build these files from our own office at 7 Bell Yard, London.
Gambling Act 2005, point of consumption since 2014: any operator serving Great Britain needs a Commission remote licence. No local company, no fixed term (s.110). Remote casino from 1 October 2026: £8,185 to apply, £7,000 a year in the lowest band.
RGD 40% since 1 April 2026; remote betting duty goes to 25% on 1 April 2027. Northern Ireland is outside the licence. Plan 6-9 months, run from our own London office.
The two licences
The remote operating licence - or the software licence.
Section 65 splits the market by product. A B2C group needs a remote casino licence, a remote betting licence or both; studios and platforms need the remote gambling software licence. Every fee band runs on annual gross gambling yield, so we fix the products and the band before anything else.
The remote operating licence - or the B2B software licence.
01 - REMOTE OPERATING LICENCE · B2C
The operator licence
The B2C licence for Great Britain, issued per product. Remote casino covers poker, roulette, blackjack, other casino games and online slots; remote general betting (standard) covers real events but not virtual ones. Fees follow annual GGY: casino band F1, under £250,000, pays £8,185 to apply and £7,000 a year.
The B2C licence for Great Britain, issued per product. Remote casino covers poker, roulette, blackjack, other casino games and online slots; remote general betting (standard) covers real events but not virtual ones. Fees follow annual GGY: casino band F1, under £250,000, pays £8,185 to apply and £7,000 a year.
- ✓Remote casino, betting or bingo
- ✓Casino F1: £8,185 to apply
- ✓Annual fee from £7,000
- ✓First annual fee 25% lower
- ✓No fixed term - s.110
- ✓RGD 40% of gaming profits
02 - GAMBLING SOFTWARE LICENCE · B2B
From £7,212The supplier licence
For studios and platforms that manufacture, supply, install or adapt gambling software by remote communication. Six bands by annual GGY: £7,212 to apply under £875,000, up to £99,446 at £130 million and above, with annual fees of £7,394-£191,880. Remote gaming machine technical licences are a separate family.
Gambling software licence for studios and platforms: £7,212-£99,446 to apply, £7,394-£191,880 a year, 1.1% levy.
- ✓Game and platform software
- ✓Application £7,212-£99,446
- ✓Annual fee £7,394-£191,880
- ✓Six GGY bands, F1 to H1
- ✓1.1% statutory levy applies
- ✓Machine technical: separate licence
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. Commission fees follow the table in force from 1 October 2026; personal licences, HMRC registration and the duty set-up are itemised in your quote.
Why the UK
A large book with a heavy duty bill.
Great Britain is costly to enter and costlier to stay in, yet the register counted 2,154 operators across all sectors at 31 March 2026.
✓
£8.3 billion of remote yield
Remote casino, betting and bingo between April 2025 and March 2026. Slots alone were £4.8 billion; remote betting £2.4 billion.Year to March 2026.
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No renewal date
Section 110 gives the operating licence no fixed term. It stays in force subject to the annual fee, due before each anniversary of issue.Annual fee, no fixed term.
✓
Any person may apply
Section 69 sets no incorporation or residence test - a UK address for service is enough, so an overseas company can hold the licence itself.UK service address is enough.
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Every fee is printed
Since 1 October 2026 fees run on published GGY bands. Remote casino F1 pays £8,185 to apply and £7,000 a year, and the first annual fee is cut by 25%.Band table since 1 October 2026.
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The only legal way in
Serving British players without a Commission licence has been an offence under s.33 since the 2014 amendments: up to 51 weeks in prison in England and Wales, a level 5 fine, or both.Unlicensed supply is an offence.
✓
The warning: 40% duty
Remote Gaming Duty nearly doubled on 1 April 2026, from 21% to 40% of gaming profits with UK persons. We model it before anything is filed.Model it before filing.
How it compares
How the UK differs from other routes.
The honest comparison: Great Britain is a point-of-consumption market with the heaviest duty in this table, and no hub licence substitutes for it.
UK vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Great Britain | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Gambling Act 2005 · point of consumption | Hub licence for the base |
| Casino duty | 40% RGD from 1 April 2026 | 22% Sweden · 5% Malta players |
| Bonus rules | 10x wagering cap since 19.1.2026 | Sweden: one welcome offer |
| Realistic timeline | 6-9 months | 4-8 months Sweden · 6-12 Malta |
Regime
Great BritainGambling Act 2005 · point of consumption
Other jurisdictionsHub licence for the base
Casino duty
Great Britain40% RGD from 1 April 2026
Other jurisdictions22% Sweden · 5% Malta players
Bonus rules
Great Britain10x wagering cap since 19.1.2026
Other jurisdictionsSweden: one welcome offer
Realistic timeline
Great Britain6-9 months
Other jurisdictions4-8 months Sweden · 6-12 Malta
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (GB) | GC remote operating · software | RGD 40% · GBD 15% · levy 1.1% | UK service address, personal licences |
 Sweden | Spelinspektionen licences | 22% GGR | SEK 230k fee, Spelpaus |
 Malta | MGA B2C · B2B | 5% eff. via refunds · 5% Malta GGR | €100k/€40k capital, key functions |
 Gibraltar | B2C £100k · B2B £85k | 15% CIT · 0.15% duty | Substance, blue-chip vetting |
United Kingdom (GB)License typeGC remote operating · software
TaxationRGD 40% · GBD 15% · levy 1.1%
RequirementsUK service address, personal licences
SwedenLicense typeSpelinspektionen licences
Taxation22% GGR
RequirementsSEK 230k fee, Spelpaus
MaltaLicense typeMGA B2C · B2B
Taxation5% eff. via refunds · 5% Malta GGR
Requirements€100k/€40k capital, key functions
GibraltarLicense typeB2C £100k · B2B £85k
Taxation15% CIT · 0.15% duty
RequirementsSubstance, blue-chip vetting
Before you apply
Requirements for the Commission's licence.Requirements for the licence.
The Commission looks at the applicant, the people and the conduct machinery. A complete GB file contains the ten items below.
01
Applicant and address - any person may apply under s.69, giving a UK address where documents under the Act can be served.
02
Fee for your band - the application fee set by projected annual GGY, from £8,185 (remote casino F1) to £165,069 (J1) under the table in force from 1 October 2026.
03
Declared convictions - relevant convictions declared with the application, as s.69 requires.
04
Personal licences - filed for the individuals the Commission requires, on its published 8-week processing time.
05
Point-of-consumption scope - every facility used in Great Britain covered, wherever the equipment sits (s.36(3), in force since 1 November 2014).
06
GAMSTOP - participation in the multi-operator online self-exclusion scheme, mandatory for online operators since 31 March 2020.
07
Slot and bonus limits - £5 a game cycle for customers aged 25 and over, £2 for 18-24s (SI 2025/215), and wagering requirements capped at 10x since 19 January 2026.
08
Deposit limits and vulnerability checks - a deposit-limit prompt before the first deposit since 31 October 2025, and LCCP 3.4.4 financial vulnerability checks once net deposits pass £150 in a rolling 30 days.
09
AML programme - remote casinos sit in the regulated sector under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, with the Commission as supervisor and reports to the NCA.
10
HMRC registration - Remote Gaming Duty registration at least 31 days ahead (14 days for UK, EU and EEA businesses), plus an HMRC-approved UK representative for operators outside the EU, EEA and specified jurisdictions.
01
Applicant with UK service address.
02
Fee for your GGY band.
03
Convictions declared (s.69).
04
Personal licences filed.
05
All GB-used facilities covered.
06
GAMSTOP connected.
07
£5/£2 slot caps, 10x wagering.
08
Deposit prompts, £150 trigger.
09
AML under MLR 2017.
10
HMRC registered in time.
Reflects the Gambling Act 2005, the LCCP and the Commission's fee table in force from 1 October 2026. Duty per HMRC Excise Notice 455a.Gambling Act 2005 + fee table from 1.10.2026.
How it works
From first call to the Commission's register.
01
Products and band
Licence types under s.65 and the GGY band fixed in writing - the band sets both fees.Fixed in writing.
02
Entity and people
The applying entity, its UK address for service and the personal licence holders lined up.Service address, personal licences.
03
The application
Policies, financial and technical evidence filed complete with the band's fee - £8,185 in casino F1.Complete, from £8,185.
04
Commission review
Questions answered as they come. The published average is 16 weeks and not guaranteed; plan 6-9 months overall.16-week average, 6-9 months overall.
05
Licence and launch
First annual fee due 30 days after issue, 25% lower; RGD returns every 3 months, paid 30 days after each period.First annual fee 25% lower.
Quick facts
RegulatorGambling Commission
FrameworkGambling Act 2005 (c. 19)
TerritoryEngland, Wales, Scotland
Casino application£8,185-£165,069
Casino annual fee£7,000-£1,453,949+
Licence termNo fixed term (s.110)
Remote Gaming Duty40% from 1 April 2026
Processing average16 weeks, not guaranteed
Most of the 6-9 months is preparation, not review. The Commission's 16 weeks is an average for complete applications, so the file and the personal licences go in finished, with the conduct build running alongside.
On the ground in the UK
Run from our own London office.
Prifinance - United Kingdom
London · 7 Bell Yard
7 Bell Yard, London
01
Scope and bands
Your products mapped to s.65 licence types and your projected GGY to a fee band - casino, betting or both, agreed in writing first.Agreed in writing.
02
The Commission file
Application, policies and personal licences drafted at 7 Bell Yard and defended through the Commission's questions.Drafted at Bell Yard.
03
Duty and HMRC
RGD and betting duty registration filed on time, the 3-month return calendar set up, and an HMRC-approved representative where the group needs one.Registered, calendared.
04
Conduct build
GAMSTOP, the £5/£2 stake caps, the 10x wagering cap and the £150 vulnerability trigger built into the platform before launch.Caps and GAMSTOP live.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Väike-Paala tn 1
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of gaming operators in the UK.
Duty follows the player: HMRC charges on gaming with UK persons wherever the operator sits, and on 1 April 2026 Remote Gaming Duty went to 40% while Bingo Duty was abolished.
RGD: 40% of gaming profits
40% of profits from remote gaming with UK persons since 1 April 2026, up from 21%. Profits are stakes minus prizes, and free plays count as fully paid stakes.Since 1 April 2026.
Betting duty 15%, then 25%
General Betting Duty is 15% of net stake receipts on fixed-odds bets. Remote general bets move to 25% on 1 April 2027, announced in the 26 November 2025 Budget; remote bets on UK horseracing stay at 15%.Remote, 1 April 2027.
Statutory levy 1.1%
The Gambling Levy Regulations 2025 charge 1.1% of the leviable amount on remote casino, betting, bingo and software licences, in force since 6 April 2025.Remote licences.
Returns every 3 months
RGD runs on 3-month accounting periods. The return and the payment are both due 30 days after each period ends.Paid within 30 days.
VAT: normally exempt
Betting and games of chance are normally exempt under the VAT Act 1994, Schedule 9, Group 4. Machine game takings, admission charges and catering are taxable.Machines and catering aside.
Corporation tax 25%
The main rate is 25% on profits above £250,000 and the small profits rate 19% at £50,000 or less, with marginal relief in between.19% on small profits.
Tax summary
Remote Gaming Duty40% · from 1 April 2026
General Betting Duty15% · remote 25% from 1 April 2027
Statutory levy1.1% · remote licences
VAT on gamblingNormally exempt
Corporation tax25% main · 19% small profits
*As of 2026 per HMRC, the Gambling Levy Regulations 2025 and the Gambling Commission. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: UK or overseas licence entity, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed operator.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
UK · Gambling Commission
Launch your gaming project in the UK with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from licence scoping and the Commission application to personal licences, HMRC registration and the conduct build - run through our own London office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is the UK the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The UK gaming licence, answered.
Does a UK gambling licence cover Northern Ireland?+
No. Apart from two sections, the Gambling Act 2005 extends only to England, Wales and Scotland (s.361). Northern Ireland runs on the 1985 Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Order and has no online licence; reform to regulate online gambling there stalled in 2022.
Which licence does an online casino need?+
A remote casino operating licence from the Gambling Commission. It covers poker, roulette, blackjack, other casino games and online slots. Sports betting needs a remote general betting licence as well.
What does the licence cost from 1 October 2026?+
About 25% more than before. Remote casino pays £8,185-£165,069 to apply and £7,000-£1,453,949 a year, by annual GGY band. The first annual fee is due 30 days after issue and is reduced by 25%.
How is remote gaming taxed in 2026?+
At 40% of gaming profits with UK persons, from 1 April 2026 - up from 21%. Fixed-odds betting pays 15% General Betting Duty, rising to 25% for remote general bets on 1 April 2027.
How long does licensing take?+
The Commission lists 16 weeks for an operating licence and says that is not guaranteed. We plan 6-9 months from first call to licence, because the file and the personal licences have to be complete first.
Do we need a UK company or UK servers?+
Neither. Under s.69 any person may apply with a UK address for service, and s.36 applies wherever the servers sit. HMRC is stricter: operators outside the EU, EEA and specified jurisdictions appoint an HMRC-approved UK representative.
What product rules apply to online casino?+
Slot stakes are capped at £5 a game cycle for customers aged 25 and over and £2 for 18-24s. Wagering requirements are capped at 10x since 19 January 2026, credit cards have been banned since April 2020, and GAMSTOP is mandatory.
What is the statutory levy?+
A charge of 1.1% of the leviable amount on remote casino, betting, bingo and software licences under the Gambling Levy Regulations 2025, in force since 6 April 2025. Nothing is payable when the bill for a period is £10 or less.
The UK or Malta for a casino group serving several markets?+
Malta is the better EU base: the MGA licence carries EU standing, and its 5% gaming tax applies only to players in Malta. It gives no access to British players; since 2014 only a Commission licence does. Groups with real British demand hold both.
Why Prifinance for the UK?+
We run UK files from our own office at 7 Bell Yard, London. We map products to licence types and fee bands, build the Commission application and personal licences, and set up HMRC duty registration and the conduct rules before launch.
Northern Ireland?+
Not covered - no NI online licence.
Which licence?+
Remote casino; betting separate.
Cost?+
From £8,185 + £7,000/yr.
Duty?+
RGD 40% since April 2026.
How long?+
16 weeks average; plan 6-9 months.
UK company?+
Not needed - service address.
Product rules?+
£5/£2 stakes, 10x wagering.
Levy?+
1.1% on remote licences.
Or Malta?+
EU base vs British access.
Why you?+
Own London office.
Client notes
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which British licence fits your project and what it will cost under the 1 October 2026 fees.
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Gambling Commission or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.