How to check a bookmaker is licensed in the UK (step by step)

In Great Britain, any business offering gambling to customers here must hold a licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). The licence is not a formality: it obliges the operator to protect customer funds, handle complaints through an approved ADR provider, verify age, and follow rules on advertising and safer gambling. Here is how to check in a couple of minutes.

Step 1: look in the site footer

Every licensed operator displays its licence details in the footer — the licensed company name, the account number, and a statement that it is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission, usually with a link to the register. If there is no mention of the Commission anywhere, that is your first serious warning sign.

Step 2: check the public register

The number shown on the site can be verified at source. Go to the Gambling Commission's public register at gamblingcommission.gov.uk and search the licensed business name. Confirm two things:

1. The company and account number appear on the register;
2. The licence status is active, and covers the activity being offered (betting, casino, bingo).

Note that the licence is held by the company, which is often not the same as the brand name on the website — one licensed company may run several brands. The footer tells you which company to search for.

Step 3: the good signs and the red flags

Signs you are in safe hands

• Identity verification before you can withdraw, and often before you can deposit — the admin is a sign of compliance, not obstruction;
• Visible safer gambling tools: deposit limits, time-outs, reality checks, and a link to GAMSTOP;
• A named ADR provider for complaints, and clear terms in English;
• Familiar UK payment methods. Note that credit cards have been banned for gambling in Great Britain since 2020 — a site accepting them is not following the rules.

Warning signs

• Bonuses that are implausibly large, or advertising that dodges the standard 18+ and safer gambling messaging;
• Payment only by cryptocurrency or transfers to individuals;
• Sites that accept you despite a GAMSTOP registration, or that are reachable only via a VPN or frequently changing domains.

What you risk on an unlicensed site

Essentially every protection you would otherwise have. An unlicensed operator has no obligation to segregate your funds, no complaints route you can escalate, and no regulator you can report it to. Winnings can be refused and accounts closed with no explanation and no realistic recourse. Unlicensed sites also sit outside GAMSTOP, which is precisely why they are dangerous for anyone who has self-excluded.