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

Licence activities

Remote betting intermediary trading rooms only licence

This licence allows you to run a trading room from a premises licensed by your local licensing authority (betting premises or track premises licence).

Regardless of where you are based in the world, you need a licence from us if:

  • you are providing facilities for gambling to consumers in Great Britain online (or through any other means of remote communication)
  • any part of your remote gambling equipment is based in Great Britain.

There is a remote operating licence for each type of gambling activity you might want to provide.

Trading rooms are where you set up equipment that lets people bet with a third party such as an online betting exchange or fixed-odds betting operator. You are never involved in the bets made.

Racecourse hospitality boxes

Racecourse hospitality boxes offer services such as a live picture feed. As long as a track or individual is not advertising the availability of the box as a trading room, or offering facilities which are not part of the standard hospitality package, it is unlikely that an operating or premises licence will be required. However, each case will be judged on its individual circumstances.

Hotels

If individuals are using hotel rooms to trade in-running, consideration will be given to the primary business intention and whether the provision of certain facilities is in keeping with that.

A hotel’s primary commercial interest is in selling accommodation. A hotel next to a racecourse may in some circumstances provide live racing pictures to facilitate this aim based on the anticipated clientele.

A hotel away from a racecourse would need to demonstrate how the provision of racing pictures supports their primary business intention.

Internet cafes

The provision of computers which may be used for gambling by an individual does not automatically require an operating or premises licence. Provided the computers are not adapted to draw attention to gambling, or intended to be used mainly for gambling, it is unlikely that a licence will be required.

If, however, the internet cafe showed live horseracing pictures we would consider it a major indication of the provision of facilities for gambling. Again, each case will be judged on its individual circumstances.

Current application fees

Fee category Annual gross gambling yield Application Fee
F Less than £550,000 £854
G £550,000 or greater, up to but excluding £6.6 million £1,406
H £6.6 million or greater £2,342

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
F Less than £550,000 £2,471
G £550,000 or greater, up to but excluding £6.6 million £10,486
H £6.6 million or greater £29,548

Related activities


Last updated: 9 February 2023

Show updates to this content

Corrected formatting issues only.

Is this page useful?
Back to top