United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission, based in Birmingham, was established under the Gambling Act 2005 to license and regulate individuals and businesses that operate gambling services in Great Britain. It has earned a good reputation as an authority that is committed to enforcing its rules and policies with the aim of making gambling safer and fairer for players.
Who is the UKGC and what does it do?
The UKGC is responsible for safeguarding players and the wider public by ensuring gambling is safe and fair. It aims to protect children and vulnerable people from being harmed by gambling, strives to ensure that players are more informed, and to keep crime out of gambling. One way the commission achieves these aims is by licensing gambling businesses and making sure that strict regulations have been established, and are being adhered to.
Any gambling websites which trade or advertise to customers in Britain must have a license from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission
For an online casino to obtain and keep a license from the UKGC, there are many specific criteria that must be met. For example, certain information must be made available to the player at all times, regarding:
- any transactions that are made
- the time that is spent gambling
- how a player can set limits on deposits or the amount spent
- how to take a break from gambling
Online casinos must also have terms and conditions that are clear and fair, provide information about any fees that might be applicable to the player, and make information available about how to gamble safely and how your money is protected in case the business fails or goes into liquidation. There are also rules regarding what a gambling operator can and can't do in relation to bonuses and promotions. For example, a player should always be able to walk away from playing at any time, and keep what is left of their deposit and any winnings earned from play with their deposit.
With regards to responsible gambling, The UKGC works closely with a number of organizations and charities, such as The Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, in order to make sure that problem gambling is adequately understood and researched, and to ensure that their policies elicit responsible behaviour from license holders towards their customers.
How to submit a complaint
The UK Gambling Commission states on their website that they do not resolve or make decisions regarding gambling-related transactions. Instead they recommend that you check any terms and conditions that may be relevant to your account or gambling transaction, and then to complain to the gambling business directly. You must be sure to follow the complaints policy of the business in question. There is also a free online tool called 'Resolver' that offers advice and can help with submitting a complaint, but this may not be supported by every casino.
The business has 8 weeks to resolve your complaint from when it is received. If you are not happy with the outcome, you can then escalate your complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution provider. The gambling business should be able to tell you which ADR provider to use, and give you their contact details.
More information regarding this can be found here: How to complain.
How to check a license is valid
When reviewing a casino, we check all licenses for validity and authenticity, so you can be sure you will find genuine UK licensed casinos by searching our reviews. If you would like to check the validity of a gambling business license, you can easily do so by searching the gambling commission's business register.
Here you can enter the name of the business or the website of the casino and find information such as which licenses are held and which website domains are currently licensed. There is also more general information about the operator, such as its registered address.
If you are in Great Britain and have been offered gambling services by someone that doesn't appear to hold a license, you can report this to the UKGC via their confidential reporting page.
Self-Exclusion
It is a requirement for all gambling businesses to have their own self-exclusion procedures in place, so that players can exclude themselves from that particular business. However, the UKGC also promotes the option to self-exclude via a multi-operator self-exclusion scheme, known as GAMSTOP. GAMSTOP makes it possible to self-exclude from all online operators with a single request, for a period of your choosing.
Contact Information
United Kingdom Gambling Commission
Address: Gambling Commission, 4th Floor, Victoria Square House, Birmingham, B2 4BP
Tel: +44 121 230 6666
E-mail: info@gamblingcommission.gov.uk
