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Licence activities

Non-remote gambling software licence

This licence allows you to manufacture, supply, install or adapt gambling software through means of non-remote communication, such as by uploading to CD or memory stick.

You will need a gambling software operating licence if:

  • you manufacture, supply, adapt or install gambling software which is used by operators we license, regardless of where you are based
  • you are based in Great Britain and manufacture, supply, adapt or install gambling software used by operators that do not have a Gambling Commission licence and are based abroad.

You will be responsible for ensuring that the software you supply is capable of being deployed in a manner that complies with our Remote gambling and software technical standards.

Remote gambling and software technical standards do not apply to the software you provide for overseas operators who are not licensed by the Gambling Commission.

What is gambling software?

If you are unsure whether the software you are manufacturing, supplying, installing, or adapting is gambling software read our guide: What is gambling software? which provides information on:

  • the definition of gambling software
  • when a licence will be required
  • additional licences gambling software businesses may need
  • technical standards.

Non-remote gambling software licence

This licence allows you to manufacture, supply, install or adapt gambling software through means of non-remote communication, such as by uploading to CD or memory stick.

Hosts

Some gambling software businesses provide facilities for remote gambling by making their games or betting content available to customers of other operators. For example, rather than supplying their software directly to remote gambling operators, the gambling software business hosts its own games on its own server, and those games can be accessed by customers of other operators through those other operators’ websites.

If you manufacture gambling software, but also provide facilities for gambling only in circumstances in which you host those facilities through other operators’ platforms, then you may be eligible to hold a host operating licence. To hold a host licence, your business:

  • must hold a gambling software operating licence
  • must not contract directly with any of the customers who play the games you provide that is only customers of another operator can access your games or betting content via that other operator’s website or app.

Please see the casino (host), bingo (host), general betting (host) (real events) or general betting (host) (virtual events) licences for further details.

Current application fees

Fee category Annual gross value of sales Application Fee
A1 Less than £550,000 £1,406
B1 £550,000 or greater, up to but excluding £6.6 million £2,342
C1 £6.6 million or greater, up to but excluding £26.4 million £23,435
D1 £26.4 million or greater, up to but excluding £50 million £23,435
E1 £50 million or greater £23,435

Current annual fees

Your first annual fee is due 30 days after your licence is issued and is reduced by 25 percent (ancillary and linked licence annual fees are not subject to this reduction).

After this, fees are due every year before the anniversary of the day your licence was issued.

Fee category Annual gross value of sales Annual Fee
A1 Less than £550,000 £2,368
B1 £550,000 or greater, up to but excluding £6.6 million £6,008
C1 £6.6 million or greater, up to but excluding £26.4 million £9,844
D1 £26.4 million or greater, up to but excluding £50 million £22,790
E1 £50 million or greater £37,288

Ancillary activities

If you apply for a non-remote gambling software licence and also want to supply software by file transfer protocol (FTP) or by email, you may need to apply for an ancillary remote licence in addition to your non-remote gambling software licence.

The gambling software ancillary licence permits the supply of gambling software by FTP or email only, and is subject to the condition that you can only generate an annual value of gross sales which:

  • is less than the total annual value of gross sales you generate through your non-remote gambling software operating licence and (if you hold any) your non-remote gaming machine technical licences
  • does not, in any event, exceed £50,000.

Ancillary remote application fee: £100
There is no annual fee for this ancillary remote licence

If your gambling software business uses any other form of remote communication, or if it does not meet the conditions of the ancillary licence previously outlined, you should apply for a remote gambling software licence.

Related activities


Last updated: 9 February 2023

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