The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)
The UK Gambling Commission is the main regulator for gambling activity in Great Britain. It licences and supervises operators to help make sure gambling is conducted fairly, crime is kept out of the sector, and children and vulnerable people are protected from harm.
What the UKGC does
The UKGC’s core responsibilities include:
- Issuing and monitoring licences for gambling businesses and personal management functions.
- Setting rules for how licensed operators must treat customers, including clear terms and fair play.
- Requiring safer-gambling tools and customer interactions where there may be signs of harm.
- Taking regulatory action where operators fall short of their obligations.
Why a UKGC licence matters
When a casino is licensed and regulated by the UKGC to serve customers in Great Britain, it must follow strict conditions on:
- Age and identity checks.
- Protection and segregation of customer funds where required.
- Fair game design and independent testing.
- Honest, clear marketing and bonus wording.
- Providing tools to limit spend and manage time spent gambling.
A licence is not a recommendation or guarantee that a particular site is “right” for you, but it does mean the operator is subject to regulatory oversight in Great Britain.
How to check a casino’s licence
Never rely only on a logo or short sentence on a website. To verify a brand’s licence status, use the official public register:
gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-register
You can search by operator name, trading name or licence number to see the current status, permitted activities and any regulatory sanctions.
If you have a complaint about a casino
Ivory Meadow Syndicate cannot access player accounts or intervene in disputes. If you have a problem with deposits, withdrawals, closed accounts or bonus terms at any casino, you should:
- Contact the casino’s customer support team and follow their complaints process.
- Escalate the case to their named Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider if the issue is not resolved.
- Keep copies of emails, chats and screenshots in case they are needed later.
The UKGC provides guidance about complaints and ADR but does not normally resolve individual disputes for players.
Our role vs. the regulator
Ivory Meadow Syndicate is an independent information site. We:
- Do not provide gambling services or accept bets.
- Do not process payments or hold your funds.
- Do not manage, open or close customer accounts.
- Cannot change limits, reverse losses or alter any decision made by a casino.
Our function is to highlight a small set of UK-facing brands and remind you to rely on authoritative sources — especially the UKGC public register and each operator’s own terms and safer-gambling information — before you decide where and how to play.
If you believe an operator is breaching its licence conditions or treating customers unfairly on a wider scale, review the guidance on the UKGC website about reporting concerns and whistleblowing.