United Kingdom Jurisdiction profile

The Gambling Commission of the United Kingdom is an Executive non-departmental public body which operates under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, which is one of 25 ministries. The Commission regulates remote gambling sites that use equipment that is physically located in Britain, land-based casinos of the UK, bingo, sports betting, arcades, gaming machine providers, gambling software providers, and lotteries.

The Gambling Commission issues licenses to casinos wishing to advertise and pay taxes in the UK and allows them to accept players from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Alderney, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Guernsey, and Jersey operate under separate jurisdiction for land-based and remote gambling.

Licensing requirements are cumbersome and the framework is comprehensive. The result is a robust regime that virtually assures players of a fair game and a path to resolution in case of dispute. Full compliance is expected of all licensees at all times and the Commission has shown it is more than willing to impose penalties on companies who provide less than strict adherence to the regime. They have issued warnings, created new conditions to go along with current demands for compliance, suspended licenses, revoked licenses, and have levied hefty fines on operators - sometimes without public warning.

Some casinos licensed in the UK include 888casino, Mr Green, and VideoSlots. Some software providers include Dragonfish/888, Microgaming, and NetEnt.

Although it can be difficult for the average player to find such disclosures within reams of casino Terms & Conditions - each remote gaming site licensed in the UK must inform players on the level of "ring-fenced" security their funds reside in, or if they are protected at all. This is done in case a business should become insolvent for any reason.

In theory, all gambling businesses must keep player money separate from their business accounts. The three levels of protection are basic, medium, and high. The level is decided by the company but can be challenged by the Commission.

Basic protection is no protection at all and player money would be seen as business money if the casino went broke. Medium protection could provide for an insurance policy that would allow the business to pay players if they become insolvent. High protection is the only true level of protection that will guarantee players are paid in case a business goes bust. In this case, player money is actually separate legally and in practice. The account is controlled by an external auditor or another independent person.

Although the Commission protects UK players who deposit and play at casinos licensed by them, people elsewhere may be on their own. Many casinos will be licensed in multiple jurisdictions such as the UK, Gibraltar, and even Curacao with the Gambling Commission taking care of UK players; Gibraltar, any other EU state, and the third would field complaints from players anywhere else in the world.

UK players are free to visit any online casino they choose too, but if it is not operating under a UK license, the Gambling Commission will not be able to help them in case of a dispute.

The Commission does not handle dispute resolution and approaching the problem has been evolving. Complaints are handled through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service by third parties. We won't list all of those services as they seem to change from time to time, but three that are likely to remain engaged are eCogra (E-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance), the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS), and the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission. eCogra will take on any complaint in any jurisdiction as long as the casino bears the eCogra seal and is an approved site.

For players accessing gambling businesses from within the UK, playing at a licensed casino gives an added layer of security and can foster a feeling of well-being.