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Licence activities

Non-remote pool betting operating licence

This licence allows you to operate a pool betting business (if you intend to operate an online pool betting business, you will need the remote pool betting operating licence).

In pool betting, the stakes are pooled and the amount of money won by the successful customers is calculated by dividing the total pool (minus commission) by the number of winners.

Pool betting includes horseracing, football and other sports and fantasy football-type competitions.

Previously, Betfred, trading as The Tote, held an exclusive licence (up to and including 12 July 2018) to offer pool betting in respect of British horse racing. Anyone other than The Tote required an authorisation from them to carry out pool betting on British horse racing.

The expiry of the exclusive licence means that any authorisations granted are no longer effective.

Since 13 July 2018 all holders of a pool betting operating licence will be able to offer pool betting in respect of British horse racing.

Further advice and guidance in relation to pool betting.

If you hold a track premises licence from your local licensing authority and a pool betting licence, you can offer up to four gaming machines of category B2 and below, but not category B3A. This is unlikely to apply to horseracing tracks as only the Tote can operate pool betting at these tracks.

Otherwise, to offer gaming machines at a track, you will need a separate betting premises licence from your local licensing authority and a general betting (standard) operating licence issued by the Commission.

If you offer machines at your track premises they must be in an over-18s-only area and alcohol is not allowed on the premises.

Horse-race pool betting

The Tote’s exclusive licence to provide pool betting on British horseracing expired on 12 July 2018.

All operators are now able to provide pool betting on British horseracing subject to holding a pool betting operating licence.

Current application fees

Fee category Annual gross gambling yield Application Fee
A1 Less than £550,000 £938
B1 £550,000 or greater, up to but excluding £2.5 million £1,406
C1 £2.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £5.5 million £1,835
D1 £5.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £10 million £2,342
E1 £10 million or greater £7,030

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 gambling yield Annual Fee
A1 Less than £550,000 £2,197
B1 £550,000 or greater, up to but excluding £2.5 million £3,028
C1 £2.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £5.5 million £4,722
D1 £5.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £10 million £7,205
E1 £10 million or greater £15,012

Ancillary activities

If you are applying for a non-remote pool betting operating licence but want to offer facilities for betting by means of self-service betting terminals (that is, bet receipt terminals or betting machines) on your licensed track premises, you will need to apply for an ancillary remote to your main licence.

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

If you apply for one of these licences you may also need to apply for linked licences if you intend to maintain the gaming machines and gambling software yourself.

Related activities


Last updated: 27 November 2023

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