Guide
Gambling licensing glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms you will meet when applying for a gambling licence.
AML/CFT
Anti-money-laundering and countering the financing of terrorism: the controls, policies and checks an operator must have to prevent its business being used for financial crime.
B2B licence
A licence for businesses that supply platforms, games or services to licensed operators rather than to players.
B2C licence
A licence for businesses that offer games or betting directly to players.
CGA
The Curaçao Gaming Authority, the regulator that licenses gambling in Curaçao under the LOK.
Critical Gaming Supply Licence
The Malta Gaming Authority's B2B licence for suppliers of critical gambling software and services.
Fit-and-proper test
The regulator's assessment of whether the people behind and running a business are suitable: their integrity, competence and financial standing.
GGY (gross gambling yield)
The amount staked less the winnings paid out. Some regulators base fees or duties on it.
KYC (know your customer)
The checks an operator makes to verify who its players are.
LCCP
The Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice: the rules that UK Gambling Commission licensees must follow.
Local presence
The real operational footprint a regulator requires in its jurisdiction, such as premises, staff and decision-making. A registered address alone is usually not enough.
LOK
The Landsverordening Openbare Kansspelen, the Curaçao law that replaced the master licence system on 24 December 2024.
MGA
The Malta Gaming Authority, Malta's gambling regulator.
MLRO
The money laundering reporting officer: the senior person responsible for an operator's AML programme and for reporting suspicious activity.
Operating licence
In the United Kingdom, the licence that allows a business to provide gambling facilities. It is issued per type of activity, such as remote casino or betting.
PEP (politically exposed person)
A person with a prominent public role, and their close associates, who presents a higher money-laundering risk and needs extra checks.
PML (personal management licence)
In the United Kingdom, a licence held by an individual in a key management role at a licensed operator.
Responsible gambling
The measures an operator takes to protect players from harm, such as limits, self-exclusion and monitoring.
RNG (random number generator)
The software that produces random outcomes in games such as slots and virtual roulette. Regulators usually require it to be independently tested.
Source of funds
Where the money used in the business or a transaction comes from.
Source of wealth
How a person accumulated their overall wealth over time.
Sub-licence
A licence held under a master licence holder, as in Curaçao before the LOK. Sub-licensees had to transition to a direct licence.
UBO (ultimate beneficial owner)
The natural person who ultimately owns or controls a business, directly or indirectly.
UKGC
The UK Gambling Commission, the regulator of gambling in Great Britain.
Keep reading
Guide
How to get an online gambling licence
The decisions to make, the eight steps of an application, the documents regulators ask for, and where operators lose time.
Guide
UBO, source of funds and source of wealth
What regulators actually ask for, what a good file looks like, and where files go wrong.
Guide
B2C or B2B: which gambling licence do you need?
The difference, how to decide, and the mistakes operators and suppliers make.
A term you can't place in your own file?
A short call is usually enough to tell you where your plan stands and what the sensible next step is.