The Gambling Commission does not issue one "online gambling licence". It issues operating licences per activity, and Casino and General Betting are different ones. An operator can hold either without the other, and the register records them as separate rows with separate numbers, dates and statuses.
This is where the quick check usually fails: someone searches a domain, sees it in the register, and stops reading.
What the register actually contains
Filtering the Commission's open data for remote licences on 15 September 2026:
| Remote activity | Licences in the register |
|---|---|
| Gambling Software | 339 |
| Society Lottery | 272 |
| Casino | 182 |
| General Betting Standard — Real Event | 158 |
| Pool Betting | 115 |
| Game Host (Casino) | 106 |
| General Betting Standard — Virtual Event | 103 |
| Bingo | 76 |
Of those 182 remote casino licences, 139 were Active. The other 43 break down as 33 surrendered, 4 revoked and 6 still pending — all of them still listed, which is the point of a register.
The distinctions that catch people out
Casino is not Game Host (Casino). A Game Host licence covers hosting casino games on behalf of another operator — a B2B arrangement. It is not the same permission as running a casino for the public, and 106 remote licences sit in that category.
Gambling Software is not an operator licence at all. It is the largest remote category by count, and none of it means the holder runs a consumer casino. Counting software licences as "casinos" is how inflated numbers get published.
Betting does not cover slots. A General Betting licence permits betting on real or virtual events. It does not permit casino games. If you are playing roulette on a site whose only live permission is betting, that activity is not covered by it.
Why a licence can exist with no website
Thirty-five of the 139 active remote casino licence holders recorded no active domain on the day of the check. Typically these are land-based groups whose remote licence supports an in-venue product, and B2B holders supplying other operators. Counting licences and calling the result "casinos" overstates it; counting domains overstates it differently, because one operator's ten domains are usually one product with ten front doors.
FAQs
Does a UK betting licence let a site offer casino games?
No. General Betting and Casino are separate activities on the Gambling Commission register, each with its own operating licence. A betting licence does not cover slots, roulette or blackjack.
What is a Game Host (Casino) licence?
It covers hosting casino games on behalf of another operator — a business-to-business permission rather than one to run a casino for the public. There were 106 such remote licences in the register on 15 September 2026.
Why does a licensed casino company sometimes have no website?
Because a remote casino operating licence does not require a consumer-facing site. Thirty-five of the 139 active holders recorded no domain: mostly land-based groups and B2B suppliers.
How do I check which activity a licence covers?
Search the domain in the Gambling Commission's public register, open the holder's entry and read the activity and status on each licence row. A holder can have one activity active and another lapsed.
What this has to do with our work
The distinction is not academic for anyone buying media: gambling certification is granted per operator, per market and for the authorised activity. Advertising casino games under a betting-only permission is a direct route to rejection. We cover it in the Meta and TikTok pre-clearance guide.
Responsible gambling
Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over and can be addictive. GAMSTOP blocks you across every UK-licensed site at once, and free confidential support is available from BeGambleAware and GamCare. The full extract of active remote casino licences is at best online casinos.