Live Casino Studios in the United Kingdom

Yes, online casinos are legal in the United Kingdom and are regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. In fact, the UK is currently one of the biggest and best-run gambling markets in the world, largely thanks to its strong frameworks and established regulative body.

Here is an overview of the current laws and how they relate to live casino studios in particular.

Gambling Laws & Regulations

All Gambling in the United Kingdom is regulated by the Gambling Commission on behalf of the government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) under the Gambling Act 2005. This Act of Parliament significantly updated the UK’s gambling laws, including the introduction of a new structure of protections for children and vulnerable adults. It was also one of the first laws to directly address the then-young online gambling market, which solidified Britain as one of the leading authorities in the world.

This act established the Gambling Commission as we know it today, granting it the power to issue licenses and regulate all gambling activity in the country. As per the law, only UKGC-licensed companies and entities are allowed to offer gambling services to British citizens. To obtain a license, operators have to conform to a strict set of rules and guidelines, including privacy rules, KYC policies, customer protection policies, and more.

The act gives its objectives as

1. Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime
2. Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way
3. Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

This framework has served as inspiration for many regulations across the globe thanks to its efficiency and focus on fairness and responsible gambling.

Another highlight of the law is that it mandates all gambling companies to be part of the GamStop project. GamStop is essentially a nationwide self-exclusion scheme. Once a player has opted to self-exclude using GamStop, they are prevented from accessing any UKGC-licensed venue, online or otherwise. Moreover, casinos and betting shops are prohibited from advertising directly to such players, under penalty of heavy fines or license revocation.

Licensing Authorities

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission is a public body tasked with regulating all gambling activity in Great Britain. It’s responsible for issuing licenses, regulating gambling, and ensuring license-holders adhere to its laws and guidelines. Its authority covers arcades, betting, bingo, casinos, slot machines and lotteries, as well as remote gambling (such as through online casinos.)

The Commission is also tasked with preventing gambling-related issues such as underage gambling, money laundering, and so on. It also advises the goverment on issues related to these topics, such as whenever new laws or guidelines are outlined. The Commission issues licenses to gambling operators, can levy fines and revoke licenses, and is tasked with investigating and prosecuting illegal gambling.

Before 2014, the Commission strictly issued licences to those operators whose remote gambling equipment was located in the territory of Great Britain. This meant that live dealer providers had to run tables and studios physically located in the country in order to legally offer them to UK citizens. A 2014 Gambling Act changed this, which allowed companies based in other jurisdictions to acquire UKGC licenses and operate tables offshore, provided transparency and responsibility standards are met.

Licensing Requirements for Operators and Studios

The key components of Britain’s regulations are designed to promote fairness, protect customers, and only allow reputable operations to run in the country.

Online gambling companies, including both casino operators and software providers, have to meet several compliance requirements before acquiring a UKGC license. The most important requirements include:

• Proof of Financial Stability – Licencees have to demonstrate an ability to remain stable and in business for an extended period. In other words, only legit operations with solid financial plans can obtain a permit.
• Background Checks – Key personnel of the company must not be connected to criminal acts or organisations.
• Compliance with Technical Standards – Operators must adhere to data protection laws to safeguard player information. Much like many other elements of UK-based gambling businesses, these safety measures are regularly audited, and failing to uphold them can have serious consequences.
• AML (Anti-Money Laundering) policies – Operators must implement comprehensive protocols to combat shady practices such as money laundering. These protocols often ensure transparency regarding how money is funnelled through the entire operation, from the game providers and casinos to the end-users.
• KYC (Know Your Customer) protocols – Operators also have to adhere to strict rules when it comes to verifying the identity of their customers. This involves ensuring a player’s legal age and identity before allowing them to gamble, as well as keeping that information private.
• Fair gaming practices – Game providers have to certify their products, ensuring fairness and transparency. For example, RNG-based games like slots have to be tested by third-party authorities. Live casino tables and studios are also often subjected to audits that oversee fairness and result transparency.
• Responsible Gambling measures – Licensees must provide tools for players to set deposit limits, self-exclusion programs, and access support for gambling-related issues. Additionally, they must meet certain norms when it comes to informing their users about the risks of gambling.

Live Casino Studio Locations in the UK

Currently, industry giants like Evolution and Playtech are confirmed to have a live casino studio location in the United Kingdom. Additionally, Authentic Gaming runs some of its tables from Britain, including multiple OTT tables that place online players right into the action of a brick-and-mortar casino.

Evolution and Playtech are both holders of UKGC licenses. Under the authority’s remote technical standards (RTS) and requirements relating to the timing and procedures for testing, the companies are permitted to run studios on UK soil. We know this because UKGC licenses and certifications are publicly available. However, the publicly available data does not reveal any details.

For example, we don’t know any specifics, such as where these studios are or which games are streamed from them.

Between the two, Playtech maintains a larger UK presence because it is currently headquartered in the Isle of Man. In December 2024, Playtech transitioned its infrastructure from in‑office servers to GDC’s EN 50600-certified data centre in Tallinn. The facility is powered entirely by renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro), significantly improving energy efficiency and aligning with the company’s environmental goals.

Conclusion

Thanks to its strong legal framework and favorable conditions, the United Kingdom has developed into a hub of the online gambling industry. Not only is the country host to many leading companies and providers, but it sets a gold standard in terms of licensing and regulation.

As such, British live casino studios offer top-notch live dealer tables all over the world. These studios typically house flagship projects for major players in the industry, such as live roulette tables, game shows, and blackjack games.. Notably, Evolution, Playtech, and Authentic Gaming run studios on UK soil, with some additional smaller competitors.

If you’re looking for more information about the best live casinos in the UK, check out this page. It lists the best casinos with UKGC licenses and games favored by British players.