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Regulatory returns

What are regulatory returns?

The Gambling Commission collects a range of information from licence holders within the gambling industry in order to:

• monitor compliance with gambling legislation, regulations and the licence conditions and codes of practice
• inform our understanding of the industry. 

This information is provided to us, by licence holders, via the completion of regulatory returns.

How do I make a regulatory return?

Regulatory returns should be completed through our online regulatory returns system. Guidance is available throughout the online regulatory returns system.

Paper versions of the forms and guidance are also available for each sector. If you would like help completing a paper form, please contact us:

• Arcades
• Betting
• Bingo
• Casinos
• Gaming machines
• Gambling software
• Lotteries
• Remote betting, bingo, and casinos.

If you complete the paper version, this should be posted to us:

Regulatory Returns
Gambling Commission
Victoria Square House
Victoria Square
Birmingham B2 4BP

When are regulatory returns due?

• A return needs to be completed for each type of activity for which a licence is held. For example, if an individual holds a licence authorising betting and bingo, two returns will need to be completed and submitted, one for each activity.
• If a licence holder has ceased trading in any particular activity, or has not yet started to trade, but still holds a valid licence at the time a return is due, a NIL return must be submitted.
• Licence holders who are required to submit annual regulatory returns should complete and submit their regulatory returns within 42 days of their year end. You may choose to complete regulatory returns according to your business year.
• Licence holders who are required to submit quarterly regulatory returns should complete and submit their regulatory returns within 28 days of their period end.
• The frequency with which regulatory returns need to be made, depends on the type of gambling business:

What does the Gambling Commission do with the information received from regulatory returns?

The information we collect is used in helping us to assess the risk posed by operators as part of our compliance programme. We also have a duty to advise the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the nature, scale and changes to the gambling industry so we use the data to help us perform that role. We provide the industry with data from the returns in the form of our annual industry statistics publication, as well as providing specific provisional figures throughout the year.