Licence activities
Remote gambling software licence
This licence allows you to manufacture, supply, install or adapt gambling software by means of remote communication.
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.
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.
Remote gambling software licence operating licence
This licence allows you to manufacture, supply, install or adapt gambling software by means of remote communication. For example, it will allow you to supply gambling software via methods of secure file transmission or to make gambling software available for download by operators from your server.
If your business manufactures or supplies gambling software using any form of non-remote communication (such as by uploading gambling software to CD or memory stick), you should also apply for a non-remote gambling software licence.
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, and
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | Less than £200,000 | £9,138 |
| F2 | £200,000 or greater, up to but excluding £550,000 | £9,138 |
| G1 | £550,000 or greater, up to but excluding £6.6 million | £18,746 |
| H1 | £6.6 million or greater, up to but excluding £30 million | £23,435 |
| H2 | £30 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 |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | Less than £200,000 | £5,809 |
| F2 | £200,000 or greater, up to but excluding £550,000 | £8,987 |
| G1 | £550,000 or greater, up to but excluding £6.6 million | £27,595 |
| H1 | £6.6 million or greater, up to but excluding £30 million | £44,744 |
| H2 | £30 million or greater | £76,289 |
Related activities
- Non-remote gambling software licence
- Non-remote linked licences gambling software
- Remote linked licences gambling software
Last updated: 9 February 2023
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