Gambling Guide – United Kingdom
Gambling, a pastime of the ages dating back to 2800BC, one that has meant both fortune and despair for many, whether gambling for fun, risking it all for the hope of a huge return or flexing an emotional or intellectual edge to beat the odds and the competition. Whatever reasons people gamble, its evolution into the modern online gambling we know today has resulted in the United Kingdom becoming the single largest online gambling market in the world. The rules and regulations that underpin the UK gambling market have created a progressive industry that our gambling guide brings to the fore, helping gamblers and curious minds understand the UK gambling market and why some its restrictions exist.
Laws that Govern Online Gambling in the UK
Online gambling is heavily regulated in the United Kingdom, Wales and Scotland by the UK Gambling Comission, the central authority for the UK market tasked with supervising all gambling activities within the Great Britain, upholding its standards for protection, fair play and policing money laundering activities.
Effectively this empowers the UKGC to proactively make UK gambling safer by licensing individual gambling providers and enforcing a strict code of standards that these providers must abide by. Fining businesses that dont adhere to these standards and eliminating them from the UK market entirely for taking advantage of UK gamblers. This UKGC register of licensed UK online gambling sites is always up to date with every licensed onlione gambling business and website in the UK. All licensed UK online casino websites must display the official UKGC remote gambling logo on their website according to the following rules:
- Minimum age to use a gambling site in the UK : 18.
- Verify your age by uploading ID document before withdrawal.
- Credit cards and credit funded accounts are banned for deposits.
- No reverse withdrawals allowed.
- Online slot stake limits (£5 for players aged 24+ £2 for players aged 18-24).
- Gambling advertising must meet CAP/ASA marketing standards.
- All games must meet remote technical standards for fairness.
- All licensed sites must meet Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP).
- All sites must be licensed by and display the UKGC logo on their site (see below).
- Bettors’ winnings are not taxable: HMRC Business Income Manual (BIM22015).
- Self exclusion services must be adhered to.
- Financial risk checks must be conducted on players.
- Redress options and alternative dispute resolution conducted through IBAS etc.
- Problem gambling support must be made easily available (GamCare (National Gambling Helpline), GambleAware).
Where to find the UKGC logo on a gambling site
Pages and Positioning
- The UKGClogo must appear on:
- Every page where real-money gambling takes place (e.g., game pages, bet placement pages).
- The homepage in a clearly visible location.
- It should be:
- In the header or footer—adjacent to the operator’s licence details (name, licence number, licence type).
- Unobscured by other graphics, pop-ups or animations.
What the Logo Looks Like and Link Requirements
- Clicking on the logo must take users directly to the gambling license registered on the UKGC website.
- The footer of the website (very bottom of the website) should also contain text along the lines of “is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling commission under account number” with a link to the license for the gambling site.
Your Rights when gambling online in the United Kingdom
Every UK resident making use of a UKGC licensed gambling site in Great Britain, (England, Scotland, Wales), you have clear gambling rights to keep you safe and ensure gambling is fair.
Proving who you are: UKGC licensed gambling sites have to check your age and identity before you start gambling, that is not only waiting until you want to cash out your winnings. This generally happens in the background, if systems can’t match your details then you might have to upload a photo of your ID and proof of address. Any additional documentation should be requested as soon as possible so as not to make you withdrawing your money cumbersome or difficult.
Getting your money back in your pocket: Your money should feel like it’s yours, any fees, waiting periods or terms and conditions should be both reasonable and be made clear in advance. In addition if something genuinely holds up a payment, the site needs to tell you whats happening and what they need from you.
How your money is safe if the site goes bust: Before you ever make a deposit, a site needs to make information available if the site were to go bust. Normally through 3 simple descriptions; “not protected”, “medium”, or “high” with a short explanation of what that means. While this doesnt affect your play it ensures you know what happens in the worst case scenario.
You cant use credit to gamble: Gambling laws in Great Britain specifically outlaw the use of credit cards and credit through e-wallets. Debit Cards, bank transfers and e-wallets are the norm with Paypal casinos the most popular payment method available. Most banks and payment platforms also offer gambling blocks that help you control how much you can deposit to a gambling site.
Gambling tools help you stay in control: UKGC licensed gambling sites must make tools that help you control your gambling available, helping you set deposit limits, take time off or even provide summaries of your total spend. Other tools like Gamstop let you self exclude from all UKGC licensed sites for a period you choose all ensuring your gambling is on your terms.
Resolving any gambling issues you might run into: If something doesnt seem fair or right start by complaining to the site, if this doesnt amount to anything you can take the case to an approved alternative dispute resolution body like IBAS. While the UKGC doesnt decide individual disputes it does use the public registrar to post if any regulatory action has been taken on any gambling site or operator.
How to Choose a UK Online Gambling Site
While we aim to be the premier choice to help you find a gambling site that offers all you want, we also understand no single voice should determine your decision. To that end we compiled a list of what to look for in a gambling site:
- Only use UKGC licensed gambling sites.
- Check online reviews for the latest news about these sites.
- Choose a site that offers the payment methods you prefer.
- Not all sites have the same games, check the software providers available for your favourite games, dont be afraid to try some new ones.
- Read the terms and conditions, use AI summaries from copilot or Google to make the terms easier to understand.
- Betting sites offer different odds, use our UK betting sites guide for a complete guide to choosing a betting site.
- Sign up or deposit bonus, choose a site that offers a sign up bonus on a game you like or want to try, with bonus terms that dont get in your way. These bonus offers are your first taste of what a site has to offer, treat it as such.
- Minimum deposit requirements, different sites have different deposit minimums letting you be more nimble with your deposits has its own rewards or bonus benefits.
- Most of all choose a gambling site that has the look and feel you enjoy, you have a world of different themes and layouts at your fingertips. These sites are built from the ground up to give players a version of the casino and gambling experience that suits them.
Depositing and Cashing out
The well regulated UK gambling market limits the use of credit to make deposits as well as the use of Bitcoin or other crytocurrencies, however the controls they have in place also open up some of the most in demand payment methods in the world too. Paypal specifically is a payment method only available for gambling use in regulated markets and not always available at every operator. Some payment methods also incur fees, however these haveto be made clear, all UK licensed gambling sites maintain pages of all their available payment methods along with the fees, minimum withdrawal, maximum withdrawal and minimum deposit limits. This page also generally indicates how long it will take for a cash out to occur.
When making your first deposit it is the prime time for gambling sites to get your personal information, this is normal and is used to ensure players dont run duplicate accounts or pretend to be someone they are not. While it may seem intrusive these measures protect players and gambling sites in the long term both complying with regulation and making it faster, easier and safer to get your money out. This personal information generally takes the form of KYC (Know Your Customer), AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and CDD (Customer Due Diligence) requirements which include your ID, proof of address and a declaration of your source of income to fund your play.
There is a change coming from 31 October 2025 requiring new players to set a deposit limit early in their gambling journey to better help players enforce control of their spending. There are a raft of other updates along with this that hopes to improve how gambling sites communicate customer fund protection.
While our website delves into all the payment methods available at UK gambling sites a list of payment methods available at UK licensed casinos follows:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Paypal
- Apple Pay
- Pay By Mobile
- Paysafe
- Skrill
- Trustly
Taxes on your Gambling in the UK
Betting and gambling, do not constitute trading so your wins aren’t taxed as income, and your losses aren’t deductible. That principle comes from long‑standing case law and it still applies today even if you are a professional gambler. However sponsorships appearance fees and paid tips as a professional gambler don’t incur the same tax understanding. Even winning a car or some other massive prize, is treated as an unchargeable asset acquired at market value. Gambling sites and operators on the other hand do pay taxes on their operating profits.
In short you dont have to declare your winnings for tax purposes or otherwise, what you do with the money and the interest you might incur however can be subject to tax.
Gambling Advertising and Marketing in the UK
UK Gambling advertising standards in the UK are defined by the ASA in consultation with the UKGC, who requires gambling sites and operator follow these rules as a condition to their gambling license. Effectively the ASA polices adherence to advertising and marketing laws while the UKGC imposes regulatory control should it become necessary. The standards gambling advertising and marketing in the UK should follow are to the following end:
- Don’t appeal to under 18s: Gambling advertising should not have a strong appeal to anyone under the age of 18, from high profile sportspeople collaborating with gambling sites to cute animated characters. The spirit of gambling ads should ensure that marketing efforts are towards adult audiences specifically.
- Gambling cannot solve financial problems: Gambling advertising tone should not suggest gambling can solve financial problems, nor should it create false urgency or even diminuitise risk. In this way its not just what marketing claims are made but also how its said.
- Terms and conditions need to be prominent: Any bonus or offering should also include all terms and conditions in a transparent and fair manner. Players need to see not only what they get but also understand the strings attached at the same time.
- E-mails and text marketing according to your preferences: All marketing channels need consent, per gambling site, per channel (SMS, Phone, E-mail, etc) and per product be that casino or betting.
- If you want marketing to stop it needs to stop: If you self exclude or identify as a problem gambler you cannot and should not be targeted by gambling advertising.
- Report non compliance: Advertising that is not compliant with these standards should be reported to the ASA if ever encountered.
Gambling Becoming a Problem? Help and Where to get it
Like great wine, good food and a host of other guilty pleasures; everything in moderation, gambling can become a problem. UK gamblers in particular have a whole lot of support available, not only to keep their gambling habits in check but also to help those who’ve overindulged.
The UKGC is constantly looking at how it can help players better conceptualise gambling spend, reality checks show players how much they have spent in a summary while setting deposit limits early on helps you keep to a gambling budget that makes sense.
The National Gambling Helpline is available for free confidential help 24/7 on 0808 8020 133 whether its just to check in with another person and talk about your gambling or as the first steps in seeking help.
The NHS on the other hand offers more formalised structured help for all UK gamblers through specialist gambling service clinics, this is available through referral from your GP or even through self referral and is both free and confidential.
Want to force yourself to stop? Gamstop allows you to block yourself from all licensed UK gambling sites in mere minutes, choose how long to impose this block on yourself, 6 months, 1 year or 5 years with auto renewal. Similar self exclusion services exist for in person gambling too with national schemes like SENSE and MOSES offer the same exclusion from betting shops and land based casinos too.
Got a question? We have the answers
GAMSTOP is the national online self‑exclusion scheme: once you register, all GB‑licensed gambling websites and apps must block you. It’s free and takes minutes to sign upLatest UK Gambling news
