Fees for a change of corporate control application
When submitting the Change of Corporate Control application, you must pay the correct fee for the application at the same time. This can be paid by BACS or Faster Payments. Find out more about paying fees. The fee must be paid on the same date you email the application to us.
You can find out the application fee for your licence by using our Fee calculator service.
Fees
| Change | Fee |
|---|---|
| Where the new controller does not hold an operating licence | 75 percent of standard application fee for the highest value activity on the licence or licences held by the Licensee. If two or more Licensees are affected by the change, 75 percent is of the highest value activity held by all the Licensees affected with the fee being £160 for each of the other Licensee. |
| Where the new controller already holds an operating licence | 25 percent of standard application fee for the highest value activity on the licence or licences held by the Licensee. If two or more Licensees are affected by the change, 25 percent is of the highest value activity held by all the Licensees affected. |
| Where the new controller is a financial institution that is either regulated by the FCA or which has its registered or head office in an EEA state and is regulated by its home state regulator. | 25 percent of standard application fee for the highest value activity on the licence or licences held by the Licensee. If two or more Licensees are affected by the change, 25 percent is of the highest value activity held by all the Licensees affected with the fee being £160 for each of the other Licensee. |
| Where the new controller is a financial institution that is either regulated by the FCA or which has its registered or head office in an EEA state and is regulated by its home state regulator. | 25 percent of standard application fee for the highest value activity on the licence or licences held by the Licensee. If two or more Licensees are affected by the change, 25 percent is of the highest value activity held by all the Licensees affected with the fee being £160 for each of the other Licensee. |
Regulation 34 (2) gives a provision for a reduced fee if a company is being inserted into the group structure and both the following conditions are met:
|
£160, otherwise, if these conditions are not met 25 percent of standard application fee for the highest value activity on the licence or licences held by the Licensee. |
| Inserting a company into a Licensee structure only if the new controller holds an operating licence or is a financial institution regulated by the FCA or an equivalent regulator in an EEA state and the new controller is only acquiring 10percent shares or increasing their shareholding to 10percent and nothing else (such as, where the shareholding does not confer “voting power” as defined in section 422 FSMA) | £160 |
| Due to share fluctuation (only acquiring 10 percent shares or increasing their shareholding to above 10 percent and nothing else (for example where the shareholding does not confer “voting power” as defined in section422 FSMA) only if the new controller holds an operating licence or is a financial institution regulated by the FCA or an equivalent regulator in an EEA state, and the new controller is only acquiring 10percent shares or increasing their shareholding to 10 percent and nothing else (such as, where the shareholding does not confer “voting power” as defined in section 422 FSMA) | £160 |
New controller in family-owned small-scale operator and:
|
£160 |
Fees examples
Known controller
A known controller is a company who holds an operating licence or where the new controller is a financial institution that is either regulated by the FCA or which has its registered or head office in an EEA state and is regulated by its home state regulator. By this we mean commercial banks, investment banks, brokerage firms, insurance companies, or asset management funds.
5 percent of the usual application fee for the highest value activity on the licence held by the operator affected.
If the operator holds both non-remote and remote (not ancillary) licences, it is the highest value activity across both licences.
Examples of operator holds include:
- non-remote general betting standard category A2, usual application fee £879 (increases from 6 April 2022)
- remote general betting standard real events category G1 – usual application fee £10,323 (from 1 October 2021) and remote gambling software category G1 – usual application fee £18,746 (from 1 October 2021)
- chance of corporate control fee is 25 percent of £18,746.
Known Controller affecting a group
This also applies to 2 or more operators (not necessarily in the same group make change applications at the same time in respect of the same controller.
The operator with the highest value activity of all the licences held by the group is charged the 25 percent rate above, and £160 each group company.
Unknown Controller
Change includes at least one incoming controller that does not hold an operating licence and is not a financial institution that is either regulated by the FCA or which has its registered or head office in an EEA state and is regulated by its home state regulator.
75 percent of the usual application fee for the highest value activity on the licence held by the operator affected.
If the operator holds both non-remote and remote (not ancillary) licences, it is the highest value activity across both licences.
Examples of operator holds include:
- non-remote general betting standard category A2 - usual application fee £879 (increases from 6 April 2022)
- remote general betting standard real events category G1 – usual application fee £10,323 (from 1 October 2021) and remote gambling software category G1 – usual application fee £18,746 (from 1 October 2021)
- change of corporate control fee is 75 percent of £18,746
Unknown controller affecting a group
This also applies to 2 or more operators (not necessarily in the same group make change applications at the same time in respect of the same controller.
The operator with the highest value activity of all the licences held by the group is charged the 25 percent rate above, and £160 each group company.
Share fluctuation
This also includes all incoming parties known (same definition as in known controllers previously mentioned) to the Commission.
The fee is £160 for each group company.
Family-owned small-scale operators
All the following apply:
- the operator is a private limited company
- the operator is and will continue to be a small-scale operator
- all existing shareholders are either the spouse, civil partner, child, parent, or sibling of the new controller
- the new controller will not exercise any management function in connection with the gambling activities
- the new controller will not hold a higher percentage of shares in the company than any other shareholder.
The fee is £160 for each group company.
Inserting a company into a licensee’s structure
When a company is inserted to the structure, they are a new controller; it does not matter if the ultimate beneficial owner remains the same.
25 percent or 75 percent of the usual application fee for the highest value activity on the licence held by the operator affected depending on whether the inserted company is known or unknown (same definitions as in known and unknown controllers previously mentioned) and does not meet all the requirements set out as follows.
Holding company is known to the Commission (that is, they hold an operating licence, or they are a financial institution regulated in the EEA etc) and the holding company is only acquiring 10 percent shares or increasing their shareholding to a 10 percent position and nothing else (such as, the where the shareholding does not confer any “voting power” as defined in 422 of FSMA)
Previous pageWhat you need to send us with your application
Last updated: 7 March 2024
Show updates to this content
Formatting changes