An operating licence is the permission from the Gambling Commission that a business needs before it can offer gambling to customers in Great Britain. Casinos, slot studios and many other businesses in the supply chain need one.
Licences are split into remote (online, phone and similar) and non-remote (premises such as casinos, arcades and betting shops), and by activity, such as casino, gaming machine supply or software. Key individuals at a licensee also hold personal licences.
Holding a licence brings duties: verifying age and identity, offering safer gambling tools, taking part in GAMSTOP, meeting the LCCP and technical standards, and keeping customer funds handled as required. You can check any operator on the Commission's public register by name or account number. A site without a GB licence offers none of these protections.