Is online gambling legal in the United Kingdom?

Legal overview

Gambling in Great Britain is governed by the Gambling Act 2005 and supervised by the Gambling Commission. The Act treats remote gambling in the same way as land-based gambling: anyone who provides facilities for online casino games, slots, poker, bingo or sports betting to people in Great Britain needs a remote operating licence from the Commission, wherever the company is based. Providing gambling facilities without the required licence is a criminal offence under section 33 of the Act. The National Lottery is licensed separately by the Commission. Northern Ireland has its own gambling legislation and is not part of the Commission's licensing system.

Licensed operators must verify age and identity before customers can play, and credit cards cannot be used to gamble. Online slot stakes are capped at £5 per game cycle for players aged 25 and over (since 9 April 2025) and at £2 for players aged 18 to 24 (since 21 May 2025). These caps apply to slots only, not to table games such as roulette or blackjack. From 19 January 2026, bonus wagering requirements may not exceed ten times the bonus, and promotions that require play across different products are banned. Operators must offer their own self-exclusion and take part in the national online scheme GAMSTOP.

Individual players do not commit an offence by gambling, but sites without a British licence offer none of these protections and fall outside the Commission's complaints and dispute rules. Operators rather than players carry the tax burden: Remote Gaming Duty rose from 21% to 40% of gross gaming profits in April 2026, while ordinary players do not pay income tax on their winnings.