# What age and identity checks must UK bookmakers carry out?

> A UK-licensed bookmaker must check your age before a deposit or bet and your identity before you gamble. What the rules say and what to expect.

Source: https://eachwayatlas.uk/licence/age-and-id-checks-rule/
Updated: 2026-11-07

A licensed UK bookmaker must check your age before you deposit, play for free or place any bet, and must verify your identity, meaning your name, address and date of birth, before you gamble. The minimum age is 18, and letting a child or young person gamble is an offence under section 46 of the Gambling Act 2005. This page explains what that means for you.

## What the rules require

Four sources set the checks. We paraphrase each one and link to the original text.

**Age and identity rules · sources: Gambling Act 2005, UKGC licence conditions and guide · read 6 November 2026**

| Rule | What it requires | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling Act 2005, s.46 | Makes it an offence to invite, cause or permit a child or young person to gamble. The UKGC treats children as up to 15 and young persons as 16 to 17. | [legislation.gov.uk, s.46](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/19/section/46) |
| SR 3.2.11 | Remote operators verify age before a deposit, before free play and before any bet | [UKGC, SR 3.2.11](https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/licensees-and-businesses/lccp/condition/3-2-11-remote-sr-code) |
| LC 17.1.1 | Identity is verified before you gamble: name, address and date of birth | [UKGC, LC 17.1.1](https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/licensees-and-businesses/lccp/condition/17-1-1-customer-identity-verification) |
| UKGC player guide | Explains age, ID and financial verification for customers | [UKGC, age and ID verification](https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/age-and-id-verification) |

**The short version:** age is checked before money or a bet is accepted, and identity before you gamble.

## What to expect as a customer

Expect to give your name, address and date of birth when you register. The operator may then ask you to confirm them. The rules above do not say which documents it must accept, and we have not yet verified any operator's list: Not verified.

The age rule exists to keep under-18s out, which is why the check comes before a deposit and not after it.

## How to check for yourself

- Open the operator's help or verification page and read what it asks for.
- Read the UKGC guide linked in the table.
- Be careful with any site that promises betting with no identity checks. A licensed operator must verify identity (LC 17.1.1), so a site that skips it is not following the licence. See [How do you check that a betting site is licensed by the UKGC?](https://eachwayatlas.uk/licence/how-to-check-a-bookmaker-is-licensed/).

Run the full list in [Ten licence and safety checks before you deposit](https://eachwayatlas.uk/licence/licence-checklist/). How long checks or withdrawals take is outside this page.

## How we checked

We read the Act and the licence-condition pages on 6 November 2026 and kept our wording to short paraphrases, with no quotation over 15 words. We re-read the UKGC pages when a rule changes.

Credit-card rules are on a separate page: [Can you bet with a credit card in the UK?](https://eachwayatlas.uk/pay/credit-card-ban-rule/).

## What changed

Last updated 7 November 2026: first version. 18+ only. Gambling can be harmful. Tools to set limits are in [How do you set a deposit limit or block betting accounts?](https://eachwayatlas.uk/licence/set-a-deposit-limit-or-self-exclude/), and help is on [Responsible gambling](https://eachwayatlas.uk/responsible-gambling/).

## FAQ

**How old do you have to be to bet online in the UK?**

You must be 18. Allowing a child or young person to gamble is an offence under section 46 of the Gambling Act 2005, so licensed operators check age.

**When does a bookmaker check your age?**

Before you deposit, before you play for free and before any bet is accepted, under licence condition SR 3.2.11. Identity is verified before you gamble, under LC 17.1.1.

**Which documents will a bookmaker ask for?**

The rules we read do not list documents, and we have not yet verified any operator's list. Read the operator's verification page, and the UKGC guide linked below.