Gambling, Gaming & Betting

Our gambling lawyers provide clear, practical advice on whether an activity constitutes gambling, applying deep expertise in statutory definitions and regulatory frameworks. They interpret complex legislation, assess risk, and guide clients on compliant structures, ensuring products, promotions, and business models operate lawfully within an increasingly sophisticated regulatory landscape.

• Advised ITV plc on the legality of its gaming and competitions formats.
• Advised a private casino as their in-house General Counsel.
• Advised News Group, ESPN and other media outlets on their gambling policies and potential impact of gambling laws on media offerings.
• Advised pubs and bars upon the types of gaming which could take place in their premises without the requirement to obtain a licence.
• Advised on B2B and B2C issues to numerous gambling operators and online providers.
• Advised a yacht company in relation to the structuring of a prize competition to ensure that it implemented a sufficient level of skill, judgment or knowledge to place the competition outside of a licensing requirement.
• Advised on the structuring of three of the largest gambling syndicates in the UK.
• Advised pubs and bars upon the types of gaming which could take place in their premises without the requirement to obtain a licence.
• Advised Awager on its potential entry as a software provider to the UK market.
• Advised Game Story on their entry into the UK market with a skill gaming concept.

Our gambling lawyers guide clients through the full process of obtaining operating licences in the UK and internationally, managing applications, disclosures, and regulatory engagement. They compare jurisdictional requirements, assess suitability standards, and provide strategic advice to ensure operators meet the differing regulatory expectations of global licensing authorities.

• Obtained gambling licences for companies such as BetConstruct, SBTech, 888.com, Avantage Entertainment LLP, DS Virtual Gaming, Leap Gaming and others.
• Advised an Asia-based e-gaming client and its owners on its successful application for an Isle of Man e-gaming licence and structured the underlying holding and operating companies.
• Submitted applications for bingo premises licences for a number of operators including holiday parks and also applied for unlicensed family entertainment centre permits, adult gaming centre and family entertainment centre premises licences.
• Prepared and submitted betting premises licence applications for a UK leading gambling company.
• Acted for a multinational land-based and remote gambling operator in relation to an operating licence review brought by the Gambling Commission which involved betting integrity and self-exclusion failures.

Our gambling specialists advise on commercial arrangements across the gambling sector, ensuring operators and brand owners are protected in white‑label partnerships, affiliate relationships, sponsorships, and wider commercial collaborations. They negotiate robust, practical agreements that balance regulatory obligations with commercial objectives, helping clients structure deals that are compliant, scalable, and commercially resilient.

• Acting for ITV on the development of the ITV WIN casino – launching in Feb 2026 – one of the largest white label deals of the year.
• Acting for Gaming Realms plc in relation to all of its regulatory compliance issues and commercial contracts.
• Two major outsourcing projects for Gala Coral with Playtech
• Advised Blue Squid Studios and Giving Collective CIC on the development of the 123Lotto Scheme and its commercial arrangements with Bauer Media and Sky.
• Acted for two gambling operators on their agreements with online games providers, gaming platform providers and games aggregators.
• Acted for online games suppliers on its agreements with commercial gaming operators and lottery operators for the provision of online scratchcard and instant games; agreements with games aggregators; agreements with providers of remote game server software; and licensing agreements with brands for development of branded online games.
• Acted for an online bingo games supplier on its agreements with commercial gaming operators for the supply of online bingo games.
• Advised on commercial contracts for videogame/app development, platform publishing deals, agency and distribution deals, merchandising, and marketing contracts.
• Advised a leading provider of casino table games, online slots and online platform services on commercial contracts relating to commercial relationships with several gaming companies.
• Advised a private casino on a broad range of commercial contracts.
• Advised on commercial contracts and provided private equity investment advice for a games developer, distributor and content aggregation company that offers a platform for third-party games.
• Advised a hosting services provider in relation to its entry into a long-term hosting agreement with one of the largest e-gaming organisations in the world.
• Acted for an online bingo games supplier on its agreements with commercial gaming operators for the supply of online bingo games.
• Advised two large social media platforms in relation to the commercial modelling of their offerings, terms and conditions of business, and rules for age‑gating in relation to adult products.
• Advised on B2B and B2C issues to numerous gambling operators and online providers.

Our gambling corporate specialists advise on the acquisition and sale of gambling operators, guiding clients through SPAs, regulatory due diligence, and change‑of‑control applications. They balance commercial objectives with licensing requirements, ensuring transactions are structured to preserve regulatory integrity and support long‑term operational success.

• Advised the management team of Gameiom Technologies Limited during the sale of its entire issued share capital to PlayAGS, Inc.
• Dealt with the sale of several intermediator companies in sale to major gaming software company.
• Advised Wynn Resorts Limited in relation to the acquisition of Aspinall’s casino in Mayfair.
• Advised an Isle of Man-based game development group of companies on commercial contracts and private equity investment, including the preparation of: master investment agreement; shareholders’ agreement and related articles of association; software development agreements; software licensing agreement; revenue share agreements; regulatory and licensing agreements; and share option deeds.
• Advised an e-gaming aggregator and content provider during its acquisition by a NYSE-listed, Las Vegas-based gaming company.
• Advised an Asia-based e-gaming client and its owners on its successful application for an Isle of Man e-gaming licence and structured the underlying holding and operating companies.
• Advised a real-time gaming company in relation to the Isle of Man aspects of its fundraising activities, including issue of convertible debt securities, a Canadian brokered private placement, and a potential European private placement of securities.
• Advised on commercial contracts and provided private equity investment advice for a games developer, distributor and content aggregation company that offers a platform for third-party games.
• Advised a listed remote gambling operator on the change of corporate control applications required as a result of its acquisition by a UK PLC.
• Assisted with the attempted acquisition of a large UK casino operator by an EU operator.

Our specialist lawyers work swiftly to assess risk, protect reputations, and resolve disputes efficiently. In the casino, bingo, and betting context, we manage complaints, contractual breaches, fraud allegations, and regulatory disputes. We act for operators and individuals in complex disputes, including claims over unrecovered winnings, debt recovery, and refusals to pay out.

• Advised Nexus Gaming in a dispute with JackpotJoy over a suite of betting software.
• Acted for a spread betting company in defeating a claim for significant damages based upon an allegation of breach of statutory duty.
• Acting for a French /Thai player who lost $3m in Curacao Casino.
• Acted for a spread betting company in defeating a claim for significant damages based upon an allegation that unlawful advice had been provided to a client.
• Acted for Forex Capital Markets Limited in defeating a claim for c£3m brought by a private client for damages pertaining to his trading account. FXCM recovered a sizeable chunk of its expended costs as the successful party. It was the first case on application of the FCA Rules under MiFID II.
• Advised Gaming Realms on a contractual dispute arising out of separation of gambling businesses. Gaming Realms plc v River iGaming Limited (2020).
• Acted for a spread betting company in defeating a claim for significant damages based upon an allegation that unlawful advice had been provided to a client.
• Advised on Gambling Commission enforcement actions against online operators including William Hill, Flutter, Skybet, Playtech, Mr Green and many others.
• Advised Playtech on a dispute following failure of delivery of an EU sports betting platform.

Our intellectual property specialists protect rights in games, formats, and digital content, advising on trademarks, copyright, domain name disputes, and confidentiality issues. They support operators and developers in enforcing IP rights, resolving infringement claims, and safeguarding commercially valuable assets across increasingly competitive and fast‑moving gambling and gaming markets.

• Advised 888.com on its UK business since 1995, including the earliest Premiership football shirt sponsorship, numerous sports sponsorship deals, advertising regulation and IP matters.
• Advised AlchemyBet on an infringement of copyright and breach of confidence case. AlchemyBet v Trinitas Gaming and Os.
• Advised Cantor Gaming in a copyright software claim. Cantor Gaming v Game Account Global Ltd FSR 4 [2008] 4.

Our land‑based gambling specialists advise on premises licences, alcohol and late‑night‑entertainment licensing, and planning matters, including adult gaming centres. They guide operators through applications, variations, and licensing reviews, managing local‑authority engagement to secure compliant, well‑regulated venues that operate smoothly within overlapping gambling, licensing, and planning frameworks.

• Prepared and submitted betting premises licence applications for a UK leading gambling company.
• Submitted applications for bingo premises licences for a number of operators including holiday parks and also applied for unlicensed family entertainment centre permits, adult gaming centre and family entertainment centre premises licences.

Our specialists advise on all aspects of lotteries, from structuring compliant schemes to navigating complex regulatory requirements. They support operators in developing lawful lottery formats, managing licensing considerations, and addressing challenges such as judicial reviews and advertising restrictions, ensuring that lottery products are transparent, well‑regulated, and commercially robust.

• Advised Scottish TV plc on the development and subsequent sale of a large lottery scheme.
• Acted for a lottery betting operator on the judicial review of Government legislation making it unlawful to offer bets on the outcome of Euromillions draws.
• Advised on the creation of The Health Lottery, which when launched was the largest private lottery in the UK. This included the development of the initial scheme, the sale of the business to Northern and Shell, successfully dealing with a judicial review claim by Camelot against the scheme, and ongoing regulatory work for the Group.
• Advised Scottish TV plc on the development and subsequent sale of a large lottery scheme.
• Provided a training session for the senior executives of a remote external lottery manager to brief them on changes to the ASA CAP/BCAP Codes relating to the advertising of gambling products, particularly in relation to children.

We advise on all aspects of advertising and marketing compliance in the gambling and prize competition industries. From advising on CAP and BCAP Code requirements to navigating the Gambling Commission’s rules and the voluntary codes for gambling and the PDC sector. We also help clients mitigate risk while engaging audiences effectively. We also support operators, affiliates, and sponsors in structuring campaigns that are both commercially impactful and legally compliant across all media channels.

• Advised a leading programmatic advertising agency in relation to claims of click‑fraud, including claims for damages from a leading transport company.
• Dealing with a major re-targeting fraud
• Advising ITV on direct marketing and data protection issues arising from the development of its white label casino.
• Advised on a range of Advertising Standards Complaints and Clearcast clearance for clients such as easyJet, 888.com, Planet Art, and others.
• Advised various advertising agencies, on their contractual arrangements for advertising campaigns with various brands including Heineken and Homebase.
• Advised Google in relation to its KeyWord and AdWord policies for gambling.
• Advised clients on the application of ASA and CAP code rules in relation to the promotion of betting/prize competitions.

Our specialists advise gambling operators on payments and crypto matters, including card‑acquiring arrangements, e‑money and payment‑services compliance, and the integration of digital assets. They guide clients on regulatory risk, AML controls, and the structured use of tokens and wallets, enabling innovative payment solutions while maintaining full alignment with UK and international requirements.

• Advised licensed online betting/gambling operators on agreements for merchant card acquiring facilities, as well as e-money/payment services covering all other types of payment method.
• Advised licensed online betting/gambling operators on the extent to which they can offer vouchers and stored value accounts to their customers; and whether their stored value can be exchanged for cash or other forms of value (e.g. physical casino chips).
• Provided advice to payment service providers and licensed online gambling operators, on whether they can accept or facilitate the acceptance of funds from customers based in jurisdictions which restrict online gambling.
• Advised various operators in relation to the receipt of crypto assets and integration into the conventional banking system through exchanges.
• Advised a blockchain-based football trading platform as to whether crypto tokens issued by the platform constituted financial securities.
• Regulatory advice to a nifty fifty blockchain influencer concerning the structuring of NFT prize competitions and compliance with the Gambling Act, including review of terms and conditions of the competition.
• Advised a founder of an online poker/NFT project in relation to compliance with the Gambling Act.
• Advised a client on the design of a cryptocurrency mining game and compliance with both FCA and Gambling Commission requirements.
• Advised a blockchain-based football trading platform as to whether crypto tokens issued by the platform constituted financial securities.
• Advised on the development of a cryptocurrency for 18+ products to ensure that the currency could not be purchased or used by minors, and arranging the structuring of that offering from a tax perspective.
• Advised blockchain/digital asset companies in relation to aspects of regulation within the Isle of Man and provided advice in respect of the regulatory requirements of ICO issuing companies.

Our gambling specialists review and draft key operational policies for gambling operators, including AML, KYC, safer‑gambling, marketing, PEP and sanctions, security, and data‑protection frameworks. They ensure policies meet regulatory expectations in the UK and overseas, supporting licence applications, compliance audits, and market entry with clear, robust, and defensible documentation.

• Advised a remote casino operator on compliance assessment and licence review relating to anti-money laundering and social responsibility failings.
• Advising ITV on direct marketing and data protection issues arising from the development of its white label casino.

Our gambling lawyers advise on prize draws and contests, helping operators structure promotions lawfully and avoid crossing into regulated gambling. They assess skill‑based elements, draft compliant terms and conditions, and guide clients through complex UK and international rules to ensure promotional competitions are transparent, defensible, and commercially effective.

• Advised prize draw operators on how to operate legally.
• Provided a client with advice and an international comparative analysis of gaming/gambling rules in relation to a project engaging Panama, BVI, Cayman and the UK. The project potentially involved the operation of a lottery and prize draw.
• Advice to operators of prize competitions, free draws, product promotions and social gaming products, including drafting promotional terms and conditions.

Our gambling regulatory specialists defend operators facing challenges to legality and regulator‑led reviews of their licences. They handle investigations, fines, sanctions, and suitability concerns, guiding clients through complex interactions with authorities and ensuring responses are strategic, evidence‑based, and focused on preserving licence integrity and operational continuity.

• Defended a client facing a serious UK Gambling Commission review citing numerous failings.
• Advised a founder of an online poker/NFT project in relation to compliance with the Gambling Act.
• Regulatory advice to a nifty fifty blockchain influencer concerning the structuring of NFT prize competitions and compliance with the Gambling Act, including review of terms and conditions of the competition.
• Advised remote casino and betting operators on the civil, criminal and financial risks of operating in grey and black markets.