Eight checks before you install a casino app
Eight checks come before you install a casino app and give it your details: the publisher against the register, the licence statement inside the app, the permissions it asks for, the data policy, age and identity steps, limits and Gamstop, and where it came from. The mistake to avoid is treating a store listing as a licence check.
How to use this list
Work through the checks before you install, using the store listing and a browser. Note the date. We have not examined any app, so every value below is a method, not a result. The same checks for the website are in the twelve checks.
The eight checks
- The publisher name. Source: the store listing. Fails when the publisher is not the licensee or a named trading name on the register entry.
- The licensee on the register. Source: Gambling Commission public register. Fails when you cannot find it; see checking a casino licence.
- The licence statement inside the app. Source: the app's footer or menu. Fails when there is none, or when the account number does not match the register. See the footer statement.
- The permissions it asks for. Source: the store listing and the install prompt. Fails when a permission has no clear link to playing.
- The data policy. Source: the privacy section of the listing and the operator's policy. Fails when you cannot find it before you install.
- Age and identity steps. Source: the sign-up flow. Expect name, address and date of birth checks (LC 17.1.1, SR 3.2.11); read about KYC. Fails when you are asked to deposit before any age check.
- Limits and time-outs inside the app. Source: the account area. Fails when you cannot find them; see safety tools.
- Gamstop participation. Source: Gamstop's participating companies page. Fails when the operator is missing.
What we have and have not checked
| Check | Source | Value on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Store listing | Not checked |
| Licensee on register | Public register | Not checked |
| Licence statement in app | The app | Not checked |
| Permissions | Store listing | Not checked |
| Data policy | Listing and operator | Not checked |
| Age and identity steps | Sign-up flow | Rules in LC 17.1.1 and SR 3.2.11 |
| Limits in the app | Account area | Not checked |
| Gamstop | Participating companies | Not checked |
If a check fails
Do not install. Run the full register check on the operator's website instead. If the listing claims a British licence that the register does not show, see the warning signs. For live tables on a phone, read live blackjack in casino apps.
Quick answers
- Is a casino app in an app store automatically licensed?
No store listing is a licence check. Match the publisher and the licensee name against the Gambling Commission public register yourself.
- Does an app have to show the licence statement?
LC 8.1.1 concerns the display of licensed status by remote operators. Check that the statement and account number appear in the app and match the register.
- Why does an app ask for ID?
Licensees must verify name, address and date of birth before play (LC 17.1.1) and check age before a deposit or bet (SR 3.2.11). Expect a verification step.
- Which permissions are too many?
We publish no permission list and no threshold, because we have not compared any store listing. Ask whether each permission is needed to play, and refuse any you cannot explain.
- Does this page rate apps?
No. It lists checks only. It gives no app scores and no ranking.