How to verify a UK online casino licence
A practical, repeatable way to check whether the legal business, licence activity and website domain shown in a UK casino’s claims match the Gambling Commission’s public register.
Last checked: 24 September 2026. This guide explains how to read the official register. It does not assess or endorse any named operator.
Read the video transcript
- Identify the exact host: Copy the exact website host, including any subdomain. Check the domain you intend to visit.
- Search the public register: Search the Gambling Commission register by domain. If the result is unclear, try the business name, trading name or account number.
- Compare the record: Compare the legal account name, licence status and relevant remote casino activity. A similar logo or company name alone does not prove a connection.
- Read the scope and actions: Check the domain and trading-name entries and any listed regulatory actions. Read linked notices in context. Some register details are supplied by businesses and may not be accurate.
- Keep dated evidence: Keep a dated record. The register is not a product review or guarantee. Open the Commission’s record for yourself.
The film uses a soft ambient music bed; there is no speech or voiceover. The interface is an illustration, not an actual register result.
Official source: UK Gambling Commission public register. The Commission says it cannot guarantee the accuracy of information supplied by third parties. Checked 24 September 2026.
Quick checklist
- Copy the exact website domain from the address bar.
- Search that domain in the Gambling Commission’s register of gambling businesses.
- Match the legal account, licence status and remote casino activity.
- Check the listed domain and trading name, including whether each is active, inactive or marked white label.
- Record the result and access date; repeat the check before relying on a time-sensitive claim.
1. Start with the exact domain
Copy the host name from the website itself. Do not rely only on a logo, advert, search snippet, app-store title or social profile. Preserve meaningful subdomains; remove the page path and tracking parameters. If the address redirects, record both the original and final domains. A redirect alone does not prove that the destination belongs to the expected business.
You do not need to sign in, deposit or upload identity documents to check a licence. If the domain cannot be matched, pause and investigate rather than substituting a similarly named company.
2. Search the official business register
The Gambling Commission’s register can be searched by business name, trading name, domain name or account number. Searching the exact domain is a useful first step because it starts with the website actually observed. If it does not return a clear result, check the operator’s legal name and account number against the register, then reconcile the fields rather than treating a name match as sufficient.
Use the Commission’s own register rather than a copied badge or a third-party list. The register’s data page was marked updated on 24 September 2026 when this guide was checked.
3. Match the legal business and licence status
Record the account name and unique account number. Then read the licence status and the relevant activity. The register distinguishes statuses including active, pending, suspended, revoked, expired, surrendered and lapsed. Copy the status exactly as displayed and note the access date; do not paraphrase an unresolved or pending record as an active licence.
Check that the record covers the relevant remote casino activity and note its activity-from and activity-until dates where present. A company may hold several types of licence. A record for another activity does not, by itself, establish that the casino product being examined is covered.
4. Check the domain and trading name separately
Compare the exact domain and any trading name with the business record. Record the displayed status for each. The register uses domain labels such as active, inactive or white label, and trading names can also have their own status. Do not infer that two similarly named domains belong to the same operator.
The Gambling Commission says domain and trading-name details are provided by gambling businesses and it cannot guarantee the accuracy of third-party information. A register entry is useful evidence, but discrepancies should be treated as unresolved until the relationship is clear.
5. Review regulatory-action entries
The register includes information about regulatory actions, including sanctions and settlements. If an action appears, record the date and read the Commission’s linked notice for its scope and context. Do not turn a brief listing into a broader allegation. Equally, an empty field should not be described as proof that no issue has ever occurred.
6. Keep a dated record
A useful record includes the exact domain entered, any redirect destination, the legal account name and number, displayed licence status, relevant activity and dates, domain and trading-name statuses, any action shown, the source URL and the time checked. Keep a note of unresolved differences. If the record changes, preserve the earlier observation and add a new dated check instead of silently overwriting it.
Refresh the check immediately before publishing a time-sensitive statement. A result observed today does not establish future status.
PRIVATE, ON-PAGE WORKSHEET
Record what the register shows
Keep this guide open alongside the Gambling Commission public register. Enter only public business and domain details. These fields are not submitted to CasinoGauge or saved by this worksheet; reloading the page clears them.
Important: completing this worksheet is not a CasinoGauge assessment, verification or recommendation. The register says domain and trading-name details are supplied by gambling businesses and may not be guaranteed. If fields do not match, leave the result unresolved and check the Commission record directly.
What a licence check can and cannot tell you
A matching record can support a narrow statement about what the register displayed at the time of checking. It does not prove that every game, payment or promotion on a website is compliant; guarantee withdrawals or customer service; assess the fairness of an offer; or establish that gambling is suitable for a particular person. It is not a casino rating or endorsement.
Official sources
- Register of gambling businesses — search fields, status and activity information, and the Commission’s caveat about third-party domain and trading-name data. Checked 24 September 2026.
- Public Register overview — what the register covers and how it can be used. Checked 24 September 2026.
For a correction to this guide, use the CasinoGauge corrections policy. CasinoGauge does not provide legal advice.