Remote Gambling Licence: What It Means in the UK, Malta and the EU

Remote gambling licence is one of the most searched phrases in gaming regulation and one of the most loosely used. In some jurisdictions it is a precise legal category; in others it is shorthand for any online licence. This guide explains what the term means where it matters most and what obligations come with remote authorisation.

The concept

Remote gambling is gambling in which players participate through remote communication: the internet, mobile applications, telephone, television or any other electronic means, rather than in person on licensed premises. Regulators treat it separately from land-based gambling because the risks differ: identity and age verification happen at a distance, play is continuous and cross-border, and funds move electronically. A remote licence therefore carries specific technical, verification and data obligations.

United Kingdom

The Gambling Act 2005 defines remote gambling precisely, and the UK Gambling Commission issues remote operating licences per activity: remote casino, remote general betting, remote pool betting, remote bingo, remote lottery and gambling software licences. Any operator transacting with consumers in Great Britain needs the relevant remote licences regardless of where it is based, and key equipment may be located abroad subject to conditions. Fees are banded by gross gambling yield, personal management licences are required and remote gaming duty applies at 21%.

Malta

Malta’s Gaming Act does not use the term in its licence names, but MGA B2C Gaming Service and B2B Critical Gaming Supply licences authorise remote gaming by default and cover any distance channel. The regulatory data must be accessible from Malta, and the licence is recognised across the EU as a remote gaming licence, though it does not replace local licences in regulated EU markets.

European Union markets

Most EU member states with open markets define remote or online gambling as a distinct category with its own licence: Estonia issues remote gambling operating permits alongside activity licences, Sweden licenses commercial online gambling, the Netherlands issues remote gambling licences under the Remote Gambling Act, Denmark and Spain have online licences by product, and Germany permits online slots, poker and betting separately. Each requires local technical connections, such as self-exclusion registers and reporting interfaces, that make remote licences country-specific.

Poland

Poland does not issue a general remote gambling licence. Online games of chance are reserved for the state monopoly, and private operators may obtain a permit for mutual betting via the internet, which functions as Poland’s remote betting licence, with its own requirements such as the archiving device located in Poland.

International remote licences

Licences from Malta, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Alderney, Curaçao, Kahnawake and Anjouan are remote licences that permit operation across markets that accept offshore authorisation. They are the base licences of most international groups, supplemented by local remote licences where markets require them.

Remote-specific obligations

Across jurisdictions, remote licences add duties that land-based licences do not: electronic identity and age verification before play, geo-location and geo-blocking, secure player accounts and segregated funds, certified RNGs and platforms, logging and data retention accessible to the regulator, responsible-gambling tools built into the product and cybersecurity standards.

Our licensing practice advises on remote licences in the UK, Malta, the EU and Poland. For a per-jurisdiction comparison, see iGaming jurisdictions compared.