How to check a licensed betting site in 2 minutes

Início » Help Center » Legal & Licensing » How to check a licensed betting site in 2 minutes
ByLucas Portela
Published:
Quick Answer

To check a licensed betting site, find the company name and licence number in the footer, then search the Gambling Commission public register and confirm the licence is active and the brand matches. If it is not listed, do not deposit. Unlicensed sites offer no GAMSTOP, limits or dispute route.

A licensed betting site is one approved by the Gambling Commission to serve people in Great Britain, and checking takes about two minutes. It is worth doing before your first deposit, because an unlicensed site can look just as professional as a real one.

How to check a licensed betting site

Scroll to the footer and note the company name, the trading name and the licence number, which usually sits next to the Gambling Commission logo. Then search for the Gambling Commission’s public register yourself, without following a link from the betting site, and look up the licence number or the company name. Confirm three things: the licence is active, the company on the register matches the one in the footer, and the brand you are using is listed under it. If any of these fail, do not deposit.

Warning signs of an unlicensed site

  • No licence details: no licence number or company name in the footer, or a number that is not on the register.
  • A foreign licence only: a licence from another country does not cover Great Britain.
  • No checks or limits: promises of no ID checks, no limits or play outside GAMSTOP.
  • Unusual payments: requests for gift cards or other odd methods, or pressure to deposit fast.

Fake pages can copy real brands, so judge a site by the register and not by its design.

What you lose on an unlicensed site

According to the Gambling Commission, a gambling business serving Great Britain without a licence is acting illegally, and you lose the protections that come with a licensed operator. GAMSTOP covers licensed sites only, so it will not block an unlicensed one, and tools such as deposit limits, reality checks and time-outs may be missing. There is also no approved dispute route if a withdrawal is refused, and your ID documents and card details could be misused.

If you have already deposited, stop at once and never pay a fee to release your money, which is a common trick. Keep screenshots and payment records, contact your bank or card provider as soon as you can and report it to Report Fraud.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is a licence from another country enough?

No. A site that serves people in Great Britain needs a Gambling Commission licence, wherever it is based. A foreign licence does not replace a Commission licence, so check the register and not just the badge in the footer.

Does a licence guarantee good service?

No. It means the operator must follow the rules, including player protections, but a licence is the minimum standard and not a guarantee. Read the terms and look at recent customer feedback before you deposit.

Can I get my money back from an unlicensed site?

There is no licensed complaints route, so success is uncertain. Contact your bank at once, keep your records and report it, because the sooner your bank knows, the more options it has.