Make changes to your operating licence
You must tell us if something changes with your business that affects the details on your licence, as a new version of your licence must be issued. If this happens you may also need to pay a fee.
Other changes require you to submit a key event or LCCP notification. These must be submitted using eServices. There are no fees for submitting these.
Applications to vary an operating licence can take up to eight weeks to process, providing all required information is submitted with the application and all fees are paid.
For changes made online using eservices, fees can be paid online using a credit or debit card when you submit your application.
For changes that must be made using the operating licence variation application form, you must pay any fees using BACS and/or Faster Payments, which you can find on the paying fees page. Payment must be made on the same day you submit the application form to us.
If you are undergoing enforcement action and/or compliance assessments
If you are undergoing enhanced compliance or other regulatory investigation, you must notify the Compliance and/or Enforcement team before you make any of the following changes:
- registered address
- correspondence address
- domain name changes
- head office address
- trading name changes.
Changes you can make online
You can make most changes online in eServices and pay any fees using a credit or debit card (except American Express).
Head Office address changes
Changes to the Head Office and trading names will result in a new licence being issued.
You can use eServices to change your Head Office address. Changes to a Head Office address will result in a new licence being issued.
Cost: £40 per licence
Registered and correspondence address changes
You can use eServices to change your registered and correspondence addresses. Your correspondence address must be based in the United Kingdom. We will use this address to communicate with you. You should only make this change once you have moved address.
Cost: free
Add, change or remove trading names
You can use eServices to add, change or remove your trading name. Any change to a trading name will result in a new licence being issued.
It is your responsibility to ensure that any proposed domain or trading name is considered socially responsible and is compliant with legislative and regulatory requirements including:
- the Licence Conditions and Code of Practice and any applicable guidance
- the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP)
- Broadcast of Committees of Advertising Practice (BCAP).
Trading names also need to be compliant with the Companies Act 2006 (opens in new tab).
Cost: £40 per licence
Adding a licensed activity
You can add new licence activities to your existing licence using eServices. However, if you want to add an additional licence, for example if you hold a non-remote operating licence only and are intending to add remote activities, you will need to apply for a new operating licence online.
To add new licence activities to your existing licence, you must provide the following information for both remote and non-remote activities:
- new business plan to explain how the activity will be made available and any staffing changes
- financial forecast for the activity for the first 12 months
- evidence of funding for the activity, for example copy of Loan agreement, evidence of source of funds for investments and bank statements
- amended policy statements that demonstrate how the activity to be added complies with Licensing Conditions and Codes of Practice
- customer terms and conditions, if applicable.
If you are adding a remote activity, you must also provide the following:
- remote technical standards and testing strategy policies
- operational model map
- system diagram for the end-to-end process.
If you are adding non-remote general betting limited activity, you must also provide the following:
- a contract of employment for all staff who will be taking bets
- an Annex A for all staff who will be taking bets.
Cost: 25 percent of standard licence application fee
Removing a licensed activity
You can remove a licence activity using eServices. You do not need to provide any supporting documentation.
Cost: £40
Fee category changes
You can make fee category changes using eServices. For a fee category increase by 1 level only, you do not need to provide any supporting documentation.
If you need to increase your fee category by 2 or more categories, then you will need to provide the following documents:
- new or updated financial projections
- new or updated business plan
- evidence of how the expansion of the business is funded.
If you need to decrease your fee category you will need to provide a full explanation of why.
Cost: £40
Changes that cannot be made online
Some changes cannot be made online, please see the following details for how to make these changes.
You must pay any fees for these changes using BACS and/or Faster Payments, which you can find on the paying fees page. Payment must be made on the same day you submit the application form to us.
Change of Corporate Control
For details on what a change of corporate control is and how to tell us about it, read our Change of Corporate Control guidance.
Change of Legal Entity
For details on what a change of legal entity is and how to tell us about it, read our Change of Legal Entity guidance.
Operating name changes
Operating name changes only apply to companies. Sole proprietors and partnerships must see Change of Legal Entity guidance.
If the company number has changed as well as the name, your existing licence automatically lapses and you must apply for a new operating licence online.
Cost: £40 per licence
Add, change or remove a licence condition
If you want to add, change or remove a licence condition (other than the condition relating to your fee category), you must supply relevant supporting evidence that demonstrates why the condition should be added, changed or removed.
For example, if your application is to add a condition to allow a company to operate under another company’s licence, you must demonstrate how that company meets our general principles for this.
If your application is to remove a condition attached as a result of a review of the licence under s116 of the Gambling Act 2005, you must provide evidence that demonstrates that you have complied with that condition.
Cost: if the condition relates to one licensed activity, it will cost 25 percent of the application fee for the related activity. If the condition relates to multiple licensed activities, it will cost 25 percent of the highest application fee for the activities to which the condition relates.
Adding a person to Schedule X
Schedule X changes only apply to Small Scale Operators (SSO). Schedule X names the people who occupy the key management positions (key persons).
To add people to Schedule X of your licence, you must submit an operating licence variation application form (PDF) and pay a fee. To add a person to Schedule X, the person to be added must complete an Annex A. They must do this online through the apply for a personal licence service.
Adding a key person also requires a key event to be submitted.
Cost: £160 per person per licence. Where multiple licences are held, a £40 fee will be charged for any additional licences. Where the personal to be added is already approved, it will cost £40 per person per licence.
If by adding a person you have more than three people in relevant management positions, you are no longer an SSO. You must apply to vary the licence to remove Schedule X and all new people in relevant management positions must apply for Personal Management Licences (PML). Existing people in key management positions have three years from the date you ceased to be SSO to apply for PMLs.
Removing a person from Schedule X
To remove people from your licence, you must submit an operating licence variation application form (PDF) and pay a fee.
To remove a person from Schedule X, you must indicate if they are being replaced and, if not, who will take over their responsibilities.
Removing a key person also requires a key event to be submitted.
Cost to remove Schedule X: £40 per person per licence.
Adding a person to Schedule Y
Schedule Y changes only apply to operating licensees who hold a non-remote general betting limited licence and qualify as a Small Scale Operator (SSO). Schedule Y names the people who are on-course representatives.
To add people to Schedule Y of your licence, you must submit an operating licence variation application form (PDF) and pay a fee.
To add a person to Schedule Y, the person to be added must also complete an Annex A and provide their contract of employment. They must do this online through the apply for a personal licence service.
Cost: £160 per person per licence. Where multiple licences are held, a £40 fee will be charged for any additional licences. Where the person to be added is already approved, it will cost £40 per person per licence.
Removing a person from Schedule Y
To remove people from your licence, you must submit an operating licence variation application form (PDF) and pay a fee.
To remove a person from Schedule Y, you must indicate if they are being replaced and, if not, who will take over their responsibilities.
Cost to remove Schedule Y: £40 per person per licence.
Files
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Last updated: 10 November 2022
Show updates to this content
Additional information provided relating to the documentation required for:
- adding a licensed activity
- fee category changes
- adding, changing or removing a licence condition
- Schedule X and Schedule Y changes.