# How do you check that a betting site is licensed by the UKGC?

> Check a betting site on the UK Gambling Commission public register in six steps: account number, Active status, licence type, domain and actions.

Source: https://eachwayatlas.uk/licence/how-to-check-a-bookmaker-is-licensed/
Updated: 2026-11-07

Search the UK Gambling Commission public register by business name, trading name, domain name or account number. Open the record and confirm the account number, a licence status of Active, a General Betting Standard – Real Event Remote activity for sports betting, and your site's domain in the domain list. If any step fails, do not deposit.

## The six steps

Each step reads one field of the register. We list them in the order that finds a problem fastest, and say why each field matters.

1. **Find the record.** Open the [register of gambling businesses](https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-register/businesses) and search by business name, trading name, domain name or account number.
2. **Read the account number and account name.** The site must show the same number, as [licence statement rule](https://eachwayatlas.uk/licence/licence-statement-rule/) explains.
3. **Check the licence status.** Only Active counts. The register also uses Suspended, Surrendered, Revoked, Revoked (Non payment of fee), Lapsed, Expired, Forfeited and Pending.
4. **Check the activity.** Sports betting needs General Betting Standard – Real Event Remote. Casino Remote is a different licence.
5. **Check the dates.** The register shows a start date and, for ended licences, an end date.
6. **Check the domain and actions.** The domain list shows Active, Inactive or White Label, and the actions page shows any regulatory action.

**The short version:** a betting site passes only when the number, Active status, activity and domain all match.

## Where each list lives

The main record shows counts only. The lists sit on separate pages that use the same account number, and the pattern is the same for every business.

**Register pages per account number · UK Gambling Commission public register · checked 7 November 2026**

| What you need | Page |
|---|---|
| Main record | …/public-register/business/detail/<account number> |
| Domain names | …/business/detail/domain-names/<account number> |
| Trading names | …/business/detail/trading-names/<account number> |
| Regulatory actions | …/business/detail/actions/<account number> |

Businesses enter their own domains and trading names, so the register does not guarantee that list is complete. That is why the licence statement on the site and the register must agree.

**The short version:** use the account number, not the brand name, to move between the register pages.

## Example: two records read from our notes

**Example.** Our notes of 6 November 2026 record Sky Bet's sports betting under SBG Sports Limited, account number 67370, Active from 6 October 2025. They also record Bonne Terre Limited, account number 38718, as Surrendered on 31 October 2025.

The two lines show why status matters. The brand stayed the same while the company holding the licence changed. See [the Sky Bet record](https://eachwayatlas.uk/licence/sky-bet-licence/). We have not re-read the live register today, so both lines are marked Not verified.

**The short version:** a brand name can outlive a licence, so read the status of the company that is named.

## Red flags and what to do

- No record for the business, the domain or the number on the site.
- A status other than Active.
- A licence for casino only, on a site that takes sports bets.
- A licence logo with no number or no link to the register.

If you find one, stop before you deposit. Report the site to the Gambling Commission, and do not rely on a footer logo. For a full list of safeguards, use the [ten-point checklist](https://eachwayatlas.uk/licence/licence-checklist/), and see [how a logo differs from a record](https://eachwayatlas.uk/licence/licence-genuine-or-just-a-logo/).

**The short version:** no matching Active record means no deposit.

## How we checked

We used the register guidance and the licence conditions published by the Gambling Commission, including LC 8.1.1 on displaying licensed status.

We have not yet taken a dated screenshot of any live record, so the example above is Not verified until we do. Our method is on [How we check](https://eachwayatlas.uk/about/how-we-check/).

18+ only. Gambling can be harmful. National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7). Block your betting accounts with [GAMSTOP](https://www.gamstop.co.uk).