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Licence activities

Remote pool betting licence

This licence allows you to run a pool betting business online (or through other 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.

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.

Horse-race pool betting

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.

Current application fees

Fee category Annual gross gambling yield Application Fee
F1 Less than £1.5 million £938
G1 £1.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £3 million £1,414
G2 £3 million or greater, up to but excluding £7.5 million £1,414
H1 £7.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £15 million £2,342
H2 £15 million or greater, up to but excluding £55 million £2,342
I1 £55 million or greater, up to but excluding £110 million £2,918
J1 £110 million or greater, up to but excluding £220 million £7,030
K1 £220 million or greater, up to but excluding £550 million £7,030
L1 £550 million or greater, up to but excluding £1 billion £7,030
M1 £1 billion 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
F1 Less than £1.5 million £2,406
G1 £1.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £3 million £16,053
G2 £3 million or greater, up to but excluding £7.5 million £19,054
H1 £7.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £15 million £34,776
H2 £15 million or greater, up to but excluding £55 million £58,537
I1 £55 million or greater, up to but excluding £110 million £90,291
J1 £110 million or greater, up to but excluding £220 million £165,081
K1 £220 million or greater, up to but excluding £550 million £385,189
L1 £550 million or greater, up to but excluding £1 billion £675,332
M1 £1 billion or greater £907,832 plus £150,000 for each complete additional £500 million of annual gross gambling yield above £1 billion

Related activities


Last updated: 9 February 2023

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