Gibraltar gaming licence and what it means for UK players
A Gibraltar gaming licence is granted under the Gambling Act 2025 and supervised by the Gambling Commissioner through the Gibraltar Gambling Division. Several well-known casino names hold one, and most of them also hold a Gambling Commission licence for their accounts in Great Britain. This page explains who issues the licence, how to check it on the official list and where a complaint from a UK customer goes.
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The Gibraltar gaming licence in plain terms
Who issues it
Under the Gambling Act 2025 the licensing authority is the Minister, or a body the Minister appoints by notice in the Gazette. A separate Gambling Commissioner, also appointed by the Minister, supervises licence holders, monitors compliance and enforces the rules. The Gambling Division, part of the Ministry of Justice, Trade and Industry, carries out both roles day to day on delegated authority.
The Division regulates remote and land-based gambling but not the Government lottery. Its published policy is cautious. The Authority has traditionally considered only established companies with a proven record, and it now also considers appropriately funded start-ups.
Remote gambling licences and supplier licences
The Act lists licence categories, and a single licence may cover remote or non-remote gambling but not both. For an online casino, two matter. A business-to-consumer (B2C) remote licence lets a company offer games or betting to players. A business-to-business (B2B) licence covers companies that supply games, platforms or services to those operators. The register prints the names in full, for example “B2C Remote Gaming Licence” and “B2B Gambling Services”, each with a Remote Gambling Licence (RGL) number. Supplier approvals appear too, such as a “B2B Software Supplier Licence – Direct Integration Tier 3” held by Pragmatic Solutions (RGL 175).
Section 17 of the Act sets six groups of licence: B2C remote, B2B remote, B2C non-remote, B2B non-remote (gambling machines), betting exchanges, intermediaries and agents, and a last group covering marketing services, holding companies owning more than 25 per cent and firms that hold customer funds. The Division lists its licensing work as B2C, B2B, support services, holding companies, software supplier approvals and changes of control.
How Gibraltar regulates online gambling
Codes of practice and supervision
Codes issued under the earlier Act stay in force until new ones replace them. The main two date from 2012. The Generic Code requires self-exclusion across all known accounts, a responsible gambling link in the lobby and at log-out, and deposit, time and gambling limits. The Remote Technical and Operating Standards set the footer wording, which names the operator and says it is regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner.
Schedule 2 of the Act adds responsible gambling measures, a minimum age of 18 for casino games, readily accessible terms and an effective complaints procedure. Anti-money-laundering rules sit in a remote-sector code updated for 2026, and game software is tested by laboratories on an approved list that includes eCOGRA, iTech Labs and the GLI companies.
Recent changes to Gibraltar's gambling law
The Gambling Act 2025 replaced the Gambling Act 2005 on 1 April 2026, with one part still to follow.
- 23 March 2026The Gambling Act 2025 (Act No. 2026-04) receives assent. Its long title is an Act to repeal the Gambling Act 2005.
- 1 April 2026The Act comes into operation under a notice of commencement, except sections 55 to 77 (Part 5, regulated functions and regulated individuals). Licensees under the 2005 Act are deemed licensed under the 2025 Act.
- 1 April to autumn 2026A six-month transition applies to businesses newly brought into scope, which now include marketing services and holding companies owning more than 25 per cent. The Division gives no end date.
- 13 July 2026Prediction Market Regulations 2026 commence. Two authorisations have been issued, which sit outside the casino licences covered here.
Who holds a Gibraltar licence
| Group | Licensee | RGL numbers | Brands listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entain | LC International; ElectraWorks | 010, 012; 050, 051 | Ladbrokes |
| Evoke | WHG (International); Virtual Global Digital Services | 034, 042; 112, 113 | William Hill, 888 |
| bet365 | Hillside (Gibraltar) | 076, 078, 129, 130 | bet365 |
| Betfred | Petfre (Gibraltar) | 036, 038 | Betfred |
| Flutter and Sky | Bonne Terre Gaming | 156 | Sky Vegas |
| Gamesys | Gamesys | 046, 153 | Bally Casino, Jackpotjoy |
| Rank | Rank Interactive (Gibraltar) | 133, 134 | Grosvenor Casinos, Mecca |
| Kindred | Platinum Gaming | 091, 092 | 32Red, Unibet |
| Playtech | Blue Rock; Red Rock | 158; 164 | Mr Green |
| BetVictor | BV (Gibraltar) | 001, 014 | BetVictor |
Others on the register include tombola, BoyleSports and Virgin Bet, and the licensee company Jocularis Limited (RGL 126 and 127).
32RedKindred
Home page on 32red.com 
Bally CasinoGamesys
Home page on ballycasino.co.uk 
BetVictorBetVictor
Home page on betvictor.com 
BoyleSports
Home page on boylesports.com 
Grosvenor CasinosRank
Home page on grosvenorcasinos.com 
JackpotjoyGamesys
Home page on jackpotjoy.com 
MeccaRank
Home page on meccabingo.com 
Mr GreenPlaytech
Home page on mrgreen.com 
tombola
Home page on tombola.co.uk 
UnibetKindred
Home page on unibet.co.uk 
Virgin Bet
Home page on virginbet.com 
Virgin GamesGamesys
Home page on virgingames.com A white label
B2B Gambling Services licences (RGL number)
- Evolution / NetEnt 072
- Light & Wonder 073
- Oakwood (Games Global) 087
- IGT 090
- Ormston (Playtech) 097
- PragmaticPlay (Gibraltar) 107
- Relax Gaming 124
- Play'n GO 131
- Sportradar AG 139
- Kambi 155
Casino brands holding a Gibraltar licence
Complete records first, alphabetical, then bet365, whose Gibraltar link rests on the register file alone. Not a ranking.
| Brand | Gibraltar licensee | Gibraltar licence reference | UK account company | Gambling Commission account | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 888casino | Virtual Global Digital Services Limited | RGL 112 gaming, 113 bookmaker | 888 UK Limited | 39028 | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Betfred Casino | Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited | RGL 036 gaming, 038 bookmaker | Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited | 39544 | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Ladbrokes Casino | LC International Limited | RGL 012 gaming, 010 bookmaker | LC International Limited | 54743 | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Sky Vegas | Bonne Terre Gaming Limited | RGL 156 gaming | Bonne Terre Gaming Limited | 65519 | 27 Oct 2026 |
| William Hill Vegas | WHG (International) Limited | RGL 034 gaming, 042 bookmaker | WHG (International) Limited | 39225 | 27 Oct 2026 |
| bet365 Casino | Hillside (Gibraltar) Ltd | RGL 078 and 129 gaming, 076 and 130 bookmaker | Hillside (UK Gaming) ENC | 55149 | 27 Oct 2026 |
Sources: each licensee’s register file, the brand’s terms and the Gambling Commission register, where all six accounts show Active.
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Home page on casino.bet365.com
Checking a Gibraltar licence against the official list
The licence-holder list
The Gambling Division publishes a Register of Licence Holders kept under section 14 of the Gambling Act 2025. It groups holders into B2C remote operators, B2B remote operators and support services. Each name opens a PDF with the licensee’s address, website, licences with their RGL numbers and the brands operated, sometimes with white labels. Each PDF carries its own “Content as from” date, and the page itself has none.
Matching the operator and website
Read the footer of the casino site. The standard wording says the operator “is licensed by the Government of Gibraltar” and “is regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner”, and the licence number in it is optional, so match the company name first. The company and any number should match the PDF’s licensee, an RGL number and the website. The brand should appear among the brands listed. For a UK-facing site, then find the same company on the Gambling Commission’s public register, because the Division itself says UK-facing operators in Gibraltar are licensed in both places.
The Division also keeps a consumer warnings page of sites that claim a Gibraltar licence they do not hold. Its entries include Titan Odds, bitfiring.com, rbbet88.com, r88games.com, 1-betx.com, wager-365.com and izzi.win, each with the date the information was provided, and fake BoyleSports addresses added in January 2026. The same page notes that social-gaming sites such as Pulsz, WOW Vegas and Rolla hold no Gibraltar licence, because they do not offer real-money gambling.
Gibraltar licences and UK players
In practice, a Gibraltar-licensed brand serves Great Britain under a second licence, from the Gambling Commission.
Why Gibraltar operators also hold a Gambling Commission licence
The Gambling Commission says a business needs its licence if it provides facilities for remote gambling to consumers in Great Britain, and that an operator based abroad must hold one to serve British consumers. The rule is explained on the Commission’s remote gambling licensing page.
Which company holds that second licence differs by brand. For William Hill Vegas, Ladbrokes Casino, Betfred Casino and Sky Vegas, the UK accounts sit with the same company as the Gibraltar licence. For 888casino, they sit with 888 UK Limited, while Virtual Global Digital Services holds the Gibraltar licences. For bet365 Casino, they sit with Hillside (UK Gaming) ENC, a Malta partnership, while Hillside (Gibraltar) Ltd holds the Gibraltar ones.
For each, the account terms name the contracting company, and that company’s number on the Commission’s register is the check that matters. The Division makes the same point: both regulators’ websites can be used to see a site’s licensed status.
Sky Vegas shows why. Its terms put customers in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man under Bonne Terre Gaming Limited’s Commission licence. The register also lists an older account for the former Bonne Terre Limited with its licences surrendered, so a search by company name alone can open the wrong record.
Player safeguards and complaint routes
A customer in Great Britain: each step ends in a decision
- The casinoComplain to the operator under its published complaints procedure. Schedule 2 of the Act requires an effective one, and the operator must tell customers which ADR options apply if the complaint stays unresolved. Keep emails, screenshots and game records.
- The dispute body named in the termsIBAS for William Hill, Ladbrokes, bet365, Betfred and Sky Vegas, and eCOGRA for 888 UK, according to each brand's terms.
Gibraltar vs Malta at a glance
| Point | Gibraltar | Malta |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | The Minister licenses, the Gambling Commissioner regulates, through the Gambling Division | The Malta Gaming Authority |
| Main law | Gambling Act 2025, in force 1 April 2026 except Part 5 | Gaming Act, Cap. 583, in force 1 August 2018 |
| Licence types | B2C remote licences, B2B Gambling Services licences | Gaming Service licence (B2C), Critical Gaming Supply licence (B2B) |
| Public list | Licence-holder page with one PDF per licensee | Licensee register search and a URL Checker |
| Regulator’s complaint channel | Gambling Division, not ordinarily for UK customers’ disputes | Player Support Unit, a regulatory channel separate from ADR |
| Player funds | Any protection on insolvency is stated at registration | Held apart from the licensee’s money, beyond its creditors |
| Self-exclusion | Blocks known accounts and new ones on similar details | Covers every brand of the licensee when for problem gambling |
| For accounts in Great Britain | A Gambling Commission licence is also needed | A Gambling Commission licence is also needed |
Read the full Malta picture in the Malta gaming licence guide or see all four side by side in our online gambling licences comparison.
Where a Gibraltar licence stops protecting you
- For a UK customer, the Commissioner will not ordinarily investigate or decide the dispute. The UK route of operator, then dispute body, applies.
- The Commissioner has no formal power to order consumer redress on his own initiative, and an adjudication does not bind the customer.
- Complaints about events more than two years old are generally not investigated.
- A licence covers the named licensee and the brands listed against it, so a different company or domain needs its own check.
- Part 5 of the 2025 Act, on regulated individuals, is not yet in force.
A licence from another jurisdiction works differently. The Curaçao gaming licence explained shows how that route compares.
Frequently asked questions
Which body grants Gibraltar gambling licences?
Formally, the Minister. Section 5 of the Gambling Act 2025 gives the licensing authority the job of deciding applications, while supervision after the grant sits with the Gambling Commissioner, currently Andrew Lyman; the government advertised the post in June 2026. In practice an applicant deals with the Gambling Division, which does the work for both.
Do Gibraltar casinos need a UK licence as well?
Yes, to serve Great Britain. The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014, section 1, requires a Great Britain licence where remote facilities are used there, even if no equipment is in Britain. It took effect on 1 November 2014, and the Division notes that UK-facing operators in Gibraltar are licensed in both places.
Where is the official Gibraltar licence list?
On the Gambling Division's website, at gamblingdivision.gov.gi/licence-holders. Search for the brand name as well as the company, because white-label brands are listed under the licensee that runs them, such as Virgin Games under Gamesys. Each licensee PDF lists its brands and licence numbers.
Why are so few operators licensed in Gibraltar?
The register lists 29 B2C remote operators. The authority has said it traditionally licensed only established companies with a proven record, and several of those operate many brands, including white-label brands, under one licence. Gamesys, for example, covers Bally Casino and Jackpotjoy.
Who handles complaints about a Gibraltar-licensed casino?
Start with the casino. The Division takes complaints by emailed form and not by telephone, generally not for events older than two years, and only after the operator's procedure is exhausted. The Division will not ordinarily decide a UK customer's dispute, which goes to the ADR body named in the terms.
Will a Gibraltar licence get my winnings paid?
It is a requirement, not a guarantee. Schedule 2 of the Act requires licensees to pay winnings and account balances promptly and to tell customers at registration how far their funds are protected if the operator becomes insolvent. William Hill, bet365, Betfred and Sky Vegas describe medium protection in their terms.
Responsible gambling and support
GamCare runs the free, confidential National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, open 24 hours, by phone, live chat or WhatsApp. GAMSTOP is the free scheme for blocking yourself from UK-licensed gambling sites, and licensed operators must honour it. Our gambling support guide covers the rest. Only adults, 18 and older, may gamble.