The UK is widely considered to have one of the most open and liberal gambling markets in the world. Most forms of gambling are legal, including lotteries, physical and online casinos, and sports betting.
Players can also bet at UK-licensed or offshore casinos, and there are currently no laws prohibiting or limiting cryptocurrency-based gambling. However, there are age restrictions and advertising laws, and the government is introducing legislation to govern the use of loot boxes in video games after the Gambling Commission declared it does not have the remit to govern them.
Self Exclusion Services
Despite having an open gambling market, the UK government has implemented several laws and licensing requirements designed to protect players. One such law demands that any business licensed to provide online gambling to UK players must sign up for the self-exclusion Gamstop scheme.
Players can still register and play casinos without Gamstop requirements, but all casinos licensed by the UK Gaming Commission must be members. Non-Gamstop casinos are usually offshore casinos and, according to tech editor Kane Pepi, they generally require the use of cryptocurrency payment methods to avoid players having to provide their full details.
Gambling Types
Virtually all forms and types of gambling are legal and regulated in the UK. Bettors can find bookmakers offering sports betting opportunities in most towns and cities. Lottery terminals are found in most convenience stores and post offices. And there are more than 150 casinos across the country.
Slot machines can also be found in pubs, bars, restaurants, sports centres, and other locations. Similarly, online gambling is easy access with licenses granted for online lotteries, casino games, and sports betting. In 2023, there were more than 3,300 gambling licenses granted including to nearly 200 online casinos.
Gambling Laws
The Gambling Act 2005 is the main law that governs gambling in the UK. However, a new Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 was also launched, which highlights the rules regarding the advertising of gambling services.
Licenses in the UK are either remote or non-remote and having one does not permit a business to offer the other type of gambling. So a physical casino would need to apply separately for a remote gambling license to operate an online casino, and vice versa.
However, licenses do not specify the types of gambling that the business is permitted to offer. Therefore, it is common to find online betting websites in the UK that offer casinos and sports betting rather than just one or the other.
Age Restrictions
There are age restrictions placed on gambling. Generally, players must be aged 18 or over to gamble, except for the pools. Bettors can play the pools from the age of 16. The age limit for the National Lottery was increased from 16 to 18 in 2021.
Gamstop Requirements
Any gambling company licensed in the UK must sign up to and participate in the Gamstop program. Gamstop is a self-exclusion service. It enables players to prevent themselves from gambling for 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years. Once registered, players cannot remove themselves from the program, and membership prevents them from playing at any Gamstop casino.
Credit Restrictions
Gambling operators are not permitted to offer or knowingly accept any form of credit. This means that credit card deposits are prohibited at licensed online casinos and casinos, whether physical or online, are not permitted to extend lines of credit to their players.
Cryptocurrency Restrictions
There are no cryptocurrency restrictions currently. This means players can register at Bitcoin casinos, and deposit and withdraw money using Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency accepted by the casinos. However, players need to be aware that using crypto may expose them to additional taxes that they would not face when using fiat currency.
Player Taxes
Gambling winnings are not taxed in the UK. This is true whether you win a million pounds on the Lotto or £10 betting on the favourite at Cheltenham. Similarly, players do not have to pay taxes if they win regularly or only enjoy an occasional flutter.
Crypto winnings themselves are not subject to gambling tax, but if the player holds their winnings as cryptocurrency and makes a profit when converting crypto to fiat currency, this profit may be taxable, so crypto casino players need to keep accurate records to show winnings and conversions.
Advertising Laws
Gambling advertising is restricted in the UK. Most recently, the government has been considering ways to reduce the amount of gambling advertising in sports. Gambling companies have agreed not to show ads during half-time during games or events that take place before the watershed.
Similarly, Premier League football clubs agreed they would stop showing gambling sponsorship on the front of their shirts. This self-imposed ban comes into force in 2026, although there is evidence that clubs are making the most of gambling advertising revenue before then with more sponsorship of this type than ever before.
It is likely that, in the coming years, regulations will be introduced to at least match the self-imposed Premiership ban and the half-time advertising bans. There have been many calls for these types of bans to be imposed to prevent children and vulnerable adults from being exposed to gambling advertisements.
Consumer Protection Laws
Beyond that, the UK government has tried to put regulations in place to increase consumer protection, rather than prevent gambling. Regulations require that gambling companies clearly state terms and conditions, including any wagering requirements, and that they stick to deposit or withdrawal terms set out in their conditions.
It is also necessary for bonus deposits and money deposits to be displayed and kept separately if there are wagering restrictions placed on bonus deposits. Companies that fail to meet these regulations can face fines and may have their licenses revoked, although this is only really likely for repeat offenders.
Conclusion
The UK gambling industry is well regulated. Online and offline gambling are permitted, and players can enjoy casinos, sports, and other games. The only real restriction is that the only commercial lottery allowed to run is the National Lottery, although charitable lotteries are also permitted.
Although there are restrictions on gambling advertising and sponsorship, many of these are self-imposed, presumably in a bid to try and prevent harsher regulations in these areas.
