Online casino, betting and bingo operators serving British customers need this licence wherever they are based, since licensing follows where the gambling is consumed.
Selected engagements from more than 250 licences obtained since 2013, for payment, e-money, cryptoasset and consumer credit firms.
Volkswagen
Payment InstitutionObtained Nexpay’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.
Electronic Money InstitutionObtained Dzing Finance’s FCA Authorised Electronic Money Institution licence.
Obtained Orbital’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.
Our realistic timeline from submission, set against the regulator’s own published figures.
Acquiring and payment processing arranged alongside the application, so you take deposits from go-live.
Candidates introduced for a chief executive and licensed department heads, each assessed against the regulator’s standard.
A reply within three business hours and a written proposal the same day: the licence, the requirements, the cost and the timing.
You will need a chief executive and heads of finance, compliance, marketing, gambling IT and anti-money laundering, each holding a personal management licence.
One engagement and one timetable, from scoping to launch. Speak to an expert about the people, the banking and the technology for this licence.
The regulator’s requirements, capital, timing, fees and the questions firms ask, from the regulator’s own publications.
Online casino, sports betting, bingo and lottery-style operators serving customers in Great Britain, the platforms that host games for them, and the software suppliers whose products they use. Point-of-consumption licensing means an operator based anywhere in the world needs the licence to serve British customers.
| Licence | Who holds it |
|---|---|
| Remote casino operating licence | Operators offering casino games online |
| Remote general betting operating licence | Sportsbooks and fixed-odds betting operators |
| Remote bingo operating licence | Online bingo operators |
| Remote betting intermediary | Exchanges and intermediaries |
| Remote casino game host | Platforms hosting games for operators (B2B) |
| Gambling software operating licence | Suppliers of gambling software |
Combined licences carry a surcharge of £2,100 on application and £6,250 a year for two of casino, bingo and virtual betting, and £4,200 and £12,500 for all three.
| Annual gross gambling yield band | Application fee | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| F1: under £250,000 | £8,185 | £7,000 |
| F2 | £14,483 | £12,375 |
| F3 | £25,628 | £19,569 |
| G1: £3 million to under £10.5 million | £40,475 | £27,337 |
| G2 | £55,060 | £51,975 |
| H1 | £74,902 | £112,556 |
| H2 | £101,895 | £394,875 |
| I1 | £122,274 | £1,181,625 |
| J1: £1.6 billion and above | £165,069 | £1,453,949 plus £272,324 per additional £200 million |
Figures are for a remote casino operating licence; game host licences run from £6,711 to £135,357 on application. Personal management licences cost £463 each.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory decision period | No statutory period | Gambling Act 2005 |
| Regulator’s published figure | 16 weeks, about 4 months, target for an operating licence; 8 weeks for personal licences; the Commission notes some applications take 6 months or longer | Gambling Commission, information for licence applicants |
| Application preparation | 6 to 8 weeks | From instruction to submission, including banking in parallel |
| Our realistic timeline | 4 to 6 months after submission | The firm’s own figure, from the regulator’s published data and its own applications |
Figures published by the regulator are quoted as published and converted to months. The realistic timeline is the firm’s own, for a complete, well-prepared application.
Gaming operators need acquiring, alternative payment methods and a client bank account for customer funds. The firm arranges these through institutions that accept the sector, with the operator’s compliance framework prepared to their standard. See banking and payment processing.
Yes, if it serves customers in Great Britain or has equipment here. The licence is based on where the gambling is consumed.
The Commission’s target is 16 weeks for an operating licence and 8 weeks for a personal licence. It states that applications can take up to six months and sometimes longer.
The holders of the specified management offices: overall management, chair, finance, regulatory compliance, marketing, gambling IT and anti-money laundering, plus premises and area oversight roles where relevant.
No fixed minimum. The Commission assesses the business plan, forecasts, accounts and source of funds.
A gambling software operating licence, and a remote casino game host licence where it hosts the games for operators.
A regulatory advisory firm to payment, e-money and cryptoasset companies since 2013, with more than 250 licences obtained in more than 60 countries. The firm advises on authorisation, compliance, safeguarding, banking and transactions, and builds the white-label payment and card technology its clients launch on.
A written proposal on cost, timing and requirements, the same day: speak to an expert.
This guide is general information for firms considering authorisation and is reviewed against the regulator’s published requirements. It is not legal advice; requirements and fees change, and the regulator’s current publications take precedence.
The requirements, the cost and the timing for your business, in a written proposal the same day.