Payment Processing for UKGC-Licensed Operators

Any operator that offers remote gambling to consumers in Great Britain needs a licence from the Gambling Commission, wherever its servers are. A licence from Malta, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man or Curaçao does not replace it.

Northern Ireland is separate. The Commission does not regulate remote gambling there, because gambling is a devolved matter there, so treat Northern Ireland as its own market in your permitted-country list.

• No credit cards: since 14 April 2020 licensees may not accept payment for gambling by credit card, including credit card payments made through a money service business.
• E-wallets only if they block credit cards: you may accept an e-wallet only if it prevents customers from funding gambling with a credit card.
• Regulated payment services only: since 31 January 2024, remote casino, betting and bingo licensees may only accept customer payments through payment services as defined in the Payment Services Regulations 2017, provided by a payment service provider under those regulations.
• Identity first: name, address and date of birth must be verified before a customer can gamble, a rule in force since 7 May 2019.
• Deposit limits up front: since 31 October 2025, customers must be prompted to set a financial limit before their first deposit and reminded every six months to review it.
• No reverse withdrawals: since 31 October 2021 customers may not be given the option to cancel a withdrawal request.

The Commission expects customers to be able to withdraw their balance at any time, except where a regulatory obligation such as an AML check applies. Checks on third-party funding should be done promptly when the money comes in, not left until the customer asks to withdraw.

You must also tell customers how well their money is protected if you become insolvent, using one of four ratings from not protected to high, where high means the funds sit in a formal trust account. Since 31 October 2025, operators whose funds are not protected must remind customers of that every six months. Acquirers read your rating as a signal of how you manage player money.

Since 28 February 2025, a financial vulnerability check is required when a customer's net deposits, meaning deposits minus withdrawals, reach £150 in a rolling 30 days. The check looks at public records such as bankruptcies and county court judgments.

Broader financial risk assessments are coming in stages. In July 2026 the Commission approved a staged introduction, starting with the largest operators at £5,000 of net deposits in 24 hours, or £2,500 for customers under 25, with a start date to be set in a consultation response. Build your deposit flow so these checks can sit in it without breaking the payment.

Remote casinos fall under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, with the Gambling Commission as their supervisor. A customer must be identified and verified once they deposit, or withdraw funds or winnings, of €2,000 or more, in a single transaction or in linked ones. Betting and bingo operators fall under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 instead.

Crypto is not banned, but a licensee that accepts it must tell the Commission which payment method and provider it uses and how the method was assessed in its AML risk assessment.

Online slots are capped at £5 per game cycle for players aged 25 and over since 9 April 2025, and at £2 for players aged 18 to 24 since 21 May 2025. The limits apply to slots only. They lower average stakes, so plan volume and average deposit figures in your application with them in mind.

• Your operating licence and its entry on the Commission's public register, for the entity that will contract.
• How you block credit cards, including credit-funded e-wallets, at the point of deposit.
• Your customer funds rating and how player money is held.
• Age and identity verification, deposit limit prompts and financial vulnerability checks in the live deposit flow.
• Your AML risk assessment, including every payment method you accept.
• Other markets you serve besides Great Britain, and the licence that covers each one.
• Recent processing statements with approval, refund and chargeback rates.

Ecompayer is not a payment provider. We connect UKGC-licensed operators with payment providers that board UK gambling, through one online application.

• Enter your licence, company details, markets, volumes and payment methods once.
• Your profile is matched with a provider that accepts UKGC-licensed operators.
• The account is prepared with the provider so you can go live.

• Gambling Commission, Licence conditions and codes of practice: 6.1.2 Use of credit cards, 5.1.2 Payment methods and services, 3.4.4 Financial vulnerability check, 4.2.1 Customer funds.
• Gambling Commission, credit card ban announcement (14 April 2020) and new rules on financial limits and funds protection (February 2025).
• Gambling Commission, financial risk assessments update (July 2026) and online slots stake limit guidance.
• Gambling Commission, prevention of money laundering guidance, threshold approach, and guidance on blockchain technology and crypto-assets.