License for online casinos in the UK

UK is the largest online gambling market

The online gambling market in the UK holds a leading position both in Europe and in the world. Over the past few years, the gambling industry has shown good growth dynamics, and this is due to both the historical love of the British for gambling, and a clear state policy to the regulation of this industry.

Регуляторный орган - UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) – до ноября 2014 года не обязывал операторов лицензировать свой бизнес в Великобритании. По этой причине большинство операторов предпочитали получать более дешевые лицензии Мальты или Гибралтара, при этом имели возможность принимать ставки от игроков из Великобритании. Однако, в 2014 году был принят закон, обязывающий всех операторов, которые принимают ставки у игроков из Великобритании или разместившие на территории Великобритании свое оборудование, получить лицензию UKGC и платить налоги в казну Великобритании в размере 15% дохода.

And so, if you want to run a gambling service through a remote connection (including online gambling), or from advertising to customers from the UK and / or any part of your remote gaming equipment is based in the UK, you will need to obtain two types of licenses from UKGC: remote operating license and personal manager license.

An individual manager’s license is not required only for small operators with up to three people in management positions, and all of them are named according to a valid license. As for all other operators, such a license must be obtained by each employee responsible for any of the following functions in the organization:

• General strategy and implementation of gambling operations;
• Financial planning, control and budgeting;
• Marketing and commercial development;
• Compliance with regulatory requirements;
• IT security and safety;
• Appointed manager for combating money laundering and related purposes for a casino operator.

Persons who perform more than one of these management functions need to have only one personal license. The cost of such a license is 370 pounds. Every 5 years it is subject to revision.

The remote operating license is subdivided into kinds in turn, depending on the type of gambling that the operator offers:

• rates
• bingo
• casino games
• slot machines
• software for gambling
• lottery.

In order to consider the possibility of issuing a license, it is necessary to register on the UKGC website: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk and fill out the application form online. If you plan to offer different types of games, it must be specified in the application form. This form must be also downloaded electronically or you can send the originals by mail or notarized copies of the following documents:

• Confirming (primary) documents of the company;
• Application form for the Information Disclosure Service and deprivation of the right to hold certain positions (DBS) - for residents or employees in England or Wales or the Disclosure Scotland Service - for residents or employees in Scotland;
• Personal license or completed Annex A (Individual declaration, including personal data of employees) - for small operators;
• Documents, identity card of a natural person or registration documents of a legal entity;
• Payment of application fee;
• Financial information, including data on available sources for project financing, business plan and financial forecast for the next 12 months;
• Contact information in the UK for non-resident companies

UKGC royalty payments can vary greatly depending on the type and number of licenses, as well as on the total income from gambling activities. So, for example, a one-time application fee can vary from 600 to 70,000 pounds, and an annual royalty payment - from 1,000 to 155,000 pounds.

Great Britain's Corporate Law