How to check a betting site’s licence

It takes a couple of minutes, and it needs nothing from this site. The Gambling Commission’s register is the authority.

1. Find the licence statement

To check a company is licensed, look in the footer of its website or app for the statement that it is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission under an account number. You can also search the public register by the company's name or the name of the website or app, and the register shows any regulatory action taken against the company.Source: Gambling Commission

Remote operators must display on their website and app a statement that they are licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission, their account number, and a link to their licensed status on the Commission's public register.Source: Gambling Commission

2. Note the account number

The account number is the first block of six digits in a licence number, with any leading zeros removed.Source: Gambling Commission

For example, licence number 039028-R-319297-014 belongs to account number 39028, held by 888 UK Limited.

3. Look it up on the register

Search the public register of gambling businesses by the company’s name, the name of its website or app, or the account number. Check that the business, the website and the type of licence match what you are about to use. Our list of licensed betting businesses is a shortcut, and each row links to its register entry.

The Gambling Commission publishes a register of gambling businesses that can be searched and downloaded, with the data available as CSV, Excel and a zip file.Source: Gambling Commission

If you cannot find a licence

A gambling business without a licence is acting illegally and the Gambling Commission can take regulatory action against it. Illegal activity can be reported to the Commission confidentially.Source: Gambling Commission

A licence tells you that a business is licensed and what it may offer. It does not tell you whether its odds, limits or customer service are any good, and we do not rate those. Read how licensing works for what the rules require, and where to get help if betting stops being fun.