Cookies on the Gambling Commission website

The Gambling Commission website uses cookies to make the site work better for you. Some of these cookies are essential to how the site functions and others are optional. Optional cookies help us remember your settings, measure your use of the site and personalise how we communicate with you. Any data collected is anonymised and we do not set optional cookies unless you consent.

Set cookie preferences

You've accepted all cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Licensees and businesses

Definition of gambling software

Gambling software is defined in Section 41(2) of the Gambling Act 2005 (opens in new tab) as “computer software for use in connection with remote gambling”, but does not include anything for use solely in connection with a gaming machine.

The Commission does not consider that software which is used by non-gambling businesses as well as gambling businesses, such as general infrastructure or business applications, to be gambling software. For example we do not intend to license companies that supply or install general Microsoft, Oracle or Apple applications.

This exclusion does not extend to cover the products produced using non-gambling business applications, such as Microsoft Visual Studio. For example, the resultant software produced from these tools would be considered gambling software if it meets the definition explained herein.

Subject to the exception as previously explained, the Commission considers any software which is designed for use in connection with remote gambling (including online gambling), that is intended to be used or is used by a gambling operator in the provision of facilities for gambling, to be gambling software. This includes any gambling specific application, such as software used in:

  • virtual event web pages
  • virtual event control
  • bet capture/matching
  • settlement
  • random number generation
  • gambling records3, showing detailed results of games.

In our view, the purpose of gambling software licensing is to ensure that those manufacturing software which can impact on the fairness of remote gambling do so in a regulated environment. At its core this generally means the software that accepts and records gambling transactions, determines the result, calculates and allocates any wins to the customer’s account. It would not include software developed more generally for associated activities such as performance analytics, affiliate and CRM management.

Previous page
What is gambling software? Next page
Relevant statutory provisions

Last updated: 13 November 2024

Show updates to this content

Formatting updated.

Is this page useful?
Back to top