Gambling licence: operating, personal and premises licences explained
Written by Sam Allcock · Last updated 23 August 2026 · Facts checked against the Gambling Act 2005 and GOV.UK guidance on the date above
If you're running a gambling business in Great Britain, you're almost always dealing with two separate layers of licensing: a Gambling Commission licence covering the business itself (an operating licence) and specified individuals (a personal licence), and, if you have physical premises where gambling takes place, a premises licence from your local council as well.
Missing either layer, not just one, is the most common and most costly mistake.
This guide sets out who needs which licence, how operating, personal and premises licences differ, what each currently costs (including a confirmed fee change landing on 1 October 2026), and how to apply.
This is general information, not legal or regulatory advice. For anything specific to your business model, speak to the Gambling Commission directly, your local licensing authority, or a gambling law specialist.
What is a gambling licence?
"Gambling licence" is a catch-all term for the authorisations that the Gambling Act 2005 requires before you can lawfully provide gambling facilities in Great Britain.
The Gambling Commission "may issue operating licences" under the Act to authorise activities including casino, bingo and betting operations, certain gaming machines, manufacturing gambling equipment or software, and promoting lotteries (Gambling Act 2005, section 65, checked 23 August 2026).
Separately, the Act defines a "personal licence" as one "authorising an individual to perform specified management or operational functions related to gambling facilities" (Gambling Act 2005, section 127, checked 23 August 2026).
And where gambling happens at a physical site, that site itself needs its own premises licence, applied for at "a licensing authority in whose area the premises are wholly or partly situated" (Gambling Act 2005, section 159(2), checked 23 August 2026) - in practice, your local council.
Who needs which licence?
What you need depends on what you're doing, and for most premises-based or remote gambling businesses the answer is "more than one licence."
| Layer | Who needs it | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Operating licence | The business itself, for providing casino, bingo, betting (remote or non-remote), gaming machine, software or lottery-promotion facilities | Gambling Commission |
| Personal Management Licence (PML) | Individuals in specified management roles at a licensed operator | Gambling Commission |
| Personal Functional Licence (PFL) | Individuals carrying out specified operational functions (for example, certain gaming or croupier roles) | Gambling Commission |
| Premises licence | Any physical site where gambling facilities are provided | Your local council (licensing authority) |
Small-scale activities such as some private and non-commercial gaming, and low-value prize gaming, can fall outside this framework entirely - if you're not sure your activity is licensable at all, check with the Gambling Commission before assuming you need any of the above.
Which councils act as the licensing authority?
The Gambling Act 2005 names the specific bodies that count as a "licensing authority" for premises licences, and it varies slightly by nation.
| Nation | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| England | District councils, county councils (where there's no district council), London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London, and the Council of the Isles of Scilly |
| Wales | County councils and county borough councils |
| Scotland | A licensing board established under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 |
Source: Gambling Act 2005, section 2, checked 23 August 2026.
How to apply for a gambling licence, step by step
Because there are two regulators involved, the practical sequence usually runs Gambling Commission first, then council.
- Work out which operating licence category fits your activity - casino, bingo, betting (remote or non-remote), gaming machine technical, software, or lottery.
- Identify who in your business needs a personal licence - PML for specified management functions, PFL for specified operational functions.
- Apply to the Gambling Commission for the operating licence and any required personal licences, meeting its suitability, integrity and financial requirements.
- If you'll have physical premises, apply separately to your local council (the licensing authority for that area) for a premises licence, once you hold - or are applying for - the relevant operating licence.
- Pay the relevant fees at each layer - see the cost breakdown below.
- Comply with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) on an ongoing basis once licensed, including responsible gambling and anti-money laundering requirements.
What does a gambling licence actually cost?
Costs vary hugely by layer, licence type and business size, so there isn't a single number - but here's what's confirmed and dated.
Personal licence figures are the Government's confirmed outcome, published 30 June 2026, effective from 1 October 2026. Read the official fee change outcome on GOV.UK →
✓ Personal licence fees verified against GOV.UK's published outcome document, checked 23 August 2026
Operating licence fees
Operating licence fees are structured by licence type and by gross gambling yield (GGY) band, so a small non-remote betting shop and a large remote casino pay very different amounts.
The Government's confirmed outcome (published 30 June 2026) sets out "a headline 25% increase to licence fees" from 1 October 2026, with fees for society lotteries frozen and general betting-limited fees restructured differently - Gambling Commission fees were last reviewed in 2021, according to the same document.
Because the exact per-band figures differ depending on which of several scenarios in the consultation documents were ultimately adopted for each category, we haven't reproduced individual operating-licence band figures here - use the Gambling Commission's own fee calculator and published fee schedules for the exact figure for your licence type and GGY band.
Premises licence fees
Premises licence fees are set locally by each council, but capped by a statutory maximum set out in the Gambling (Premises Licence Fees) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/479, checked 23 August 2026).
| Premises class | Maximum application fee | Maximum annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Adult gaming centre | £2,000 | £1,000 |
| Family entertainment centre | £2,000 | £750 |
| Betting premises (track) | £2,500 | £1,000 |
| Betting premises (other) | £3,000 | £600 |
| Small casino | £8,000 | £4,000 |
| Bingo premises | - | up to £1,000 |
These are the statutory maximums set in 2007 - councils can, and often do, charge less, and we couldn't confirm whether these caps have since been updated, so treat them as a ceiling rather than the exact fee your council will charge; ask your council for its current published fee.
Premises licence vs operating licence - what's the difference?
These sit at different levels and answer different questions, which is why you can need both at once.
| Operating licence | Premises licence | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | Is this business fit to provide gambling facilities anywhere? | Is this specific site suitable for gambling to take place? |
| Issued by | Gambling Commission (national) | Your local council (local) |
| Applies to | The whole business/operation | Each individual physical site |
| Needed for online-only operators? | Yes | Generally no, if there's no physical premises |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both a Gambling Commission licence and a council premises licence?
If you're providing gambling facilities from a physical site, generally yes - you need a Gambling Commission operating licence for the business plus a separate premises licence from the council for that site; online-only operators typically only need the Commission layer.
What's the difference between a Personal Management Licence and a Personal Functional Licence?
A PML covers individuals in specified management roles at a gambling business; a PFL covers individuals carrying out specified operational functions - both are defined under the Gambling Act 2005's personal licence provisions and issued by the Gambling Commission.
How much do personal gambling licences cost from October 2026?
From 1 October 2026, the confirmed fees are £463 for a Personal Management Licence application (and £463 annual maintenance) and £231 for a Personal Functional Licence application (£181 annual maintenance), per the Government's published fee outcome.
Who sets gambling premises licence fees - the Gambling Commission or the council?
Your local council sets and collects the premises licence fee, but it's capped by a statutory maximum set out in the 2007 fee regulations; the Gambling Commission has no role in premises licence fees.
Are gambling operating licence fees going up?
Yes - the Government's confirmed outcome describes a headline 25% increase to Gambling Commission fees from 1 October 2026, with some categories, such as society lotteries, frozen rather than increased.
Do small or private gambling activities need a licence at all?
Not always - some private, non-commercial or low-value activities fall outside the licensing framework, so check directly with the Gambling Commission before assuming any of the above licences apply to you.
apply for licence is an independent guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Gambling Commission, GOV.UK, any local council or any government body. This page is general information, not legal or regulatory advice - for anything specific to your business, contact the Gambling Commission, your local licensing authority, or a gambling law specialist. If gambling is causing you harm, free confidential support is available from the National Gambling Helpline.