Gibraltar Gambling Licence: Who Regulates and What Applies Now

The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (GRA) does not license gambling. Gibraltar remote gambling licences are issued by the Licensing Authority and supervised by the Gambling Commissioner under the framework in the Gambling Act 2005, with the Gambling Division of HM Government of Gibraltar as the administrative contact point. As of October 2026, the Gambling Act 2025 governs new applications, having replaced the 2005 Act from 1 April 2026.

This briefing is for licensing consultants, legal counsel and operators who have seen “GRA licence” in competitor content and need to know which body, statute and criteria apply. It draws on the consolidated 2005 Act, the Gambling Commissioner’s 2026 AML Code, HMRC guidance and trade reporting.

Which body licenses, and under which Act

The GRA was established under the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority Act in October 2000 and now regulates electronic communications and data protection. The Gambling Commissioner’s own AML Code records the point in its version history: the 10 October 2012 amendment is logged as “Removal of GRA references only”.

The consolidated 2005 Act is headed “Repealed by Act.2026-04 as from 1.4.2026” and directs readers to Schedule 8 of the Gambling Act 2025 for transitional provisions. iGamingBusiness reported that Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry Nigel Feetham told Parliament that a prediction market licence issued in March 2026 had to be granted under the previous legislation because the new Act was not yet in force. According to the same outlet, Predict Street Ltd was licensed as a betting intermediary on 26 March 2026 under the 2005 Act. iGamingBusiness also reported in July 2026 that prediction market regulations had been published in the Gibraltar Gazette as part of the 2025 Act framework.

How suitability is assessed

Under Schedule 1 of the 2005 Act, the Licensing Authority had “a complete discretion to grant or refuse an application for a licence”. It could grant the licence, refuse it in writing, or require further information within a stated period. If the information did not arrive within a reasonable time, the authority was required to refuse.

The fit and proper test in paragraph 3(4) required the authority to weigh the following, to the extent appropriate:

the person’s character, honesty and integrity, business reputation, current financial position and financial background, the business plan, experience of the gambling activity, conduct under any similar licence in a comparable jurisdiction, the actual or proposed ownership and structure of the business, and the ability to maintain a minimum required reserve so that winnings and prizes can be paid.

The test reached beyond the applicant to persons with control or management of a substantial part of the business and to “interested persons” able to influence the business through securities or otherwise. The 2005 Act also required licence holders to have adequate financing for prize payouts and sufficient working capital. Because paragraph 3(4) looks at conduct under similar licences in comparable jurisdictions, refusals or suspensions elsewhere belong in the filing, and applicants with licence history elsewhere should expect that history to be examined.

Under section 24 of the 2005 Act, a person provides remote gambling in or from Gibraltar if at least one piece of remote gambling equipment is situated there. That definition covers equipment that registers participation, presents the game, determines results, accepts payment or authorises winnings. The Act listed failure to maintain a physical presence in Gibraltar as a ground for suspension or revocation, so the presence requirement continues after grant.

The Gambling Commissioner’s Code of Practice for the Remote Gambling Industry on AML, CFT and CPF (v.1.0.2026, dated 8 January 2026, issued under section 6(6)(f) of the 2005 Act) sets the supervisory expectations that follow a grant. It requires licence holders to identify a board member with strategic AML/CFT responsibility, and expects the board to receive at least an annual MLRO report with a refreshed corporate risk assessment. The Licensing Authority requires all customer-facing joint venture B2B relationships to be submitted for approval, and the Code requires beneficial ownership due diligence on commercial suppliers. The Code applies to all licence holders’ processes, including those also licensed elsewhere. Under the 2005 Act, suspected money laundering or terrorist financing had to be notified to the Commissioner within twenty-four hours or as soon as reasonably practicable. The Commissioner forwards notifications to the Gibraltar Financial Intelligence Unit.

Fees and timeline: what the sources support

As of October 2026, published application fees, annual fees, gaming duty rates and statutory processing times under the 2025 Act were not available in the primary material reviewed. Fee figures drawn from the 2005 regime should not be used for budgeting. Under section 41 of the 2005 Act, charges, fees and gaming taxes were prescribed by regulation and paid into the Consolidated Fund. The equivalent 2025 Act schedules should be obtained directly from the Gambling Division.

The 2005 Act provisions reviewed set no decision deadline. They required renewal applications at least three months before expiry. iGamingBusiness reported the Minister as describing the March 2026 Predict Street grant as “record timing” for a Gibraltar regulatory licence, which suggests that the authority can move quickly on a complete application. The statement is not a processing commitment, and the Act’s discretion means a request for further information can lengthen the process.

Post-Brexit position and UK-facing business

The AML Code states that until Gibraltar left the EU, local law gave effect to incremental EU AML directives and regulations, and that “there may be some divergence from EU law without any weakening of requirements”. In practice, Gibraltar-licensed businesses serving EU customers must meet each target state’s licensing rules directly, because a Gibraltar licence carries no EU passport. That conclusion is analysis rather than a quoted rule, and the target-state position needs local advice.

The UK is the commercial question for most Gibraltar licensees. The Gibraltar licence itself confers no right to supply UK consumers, and UK-facing business is a matter for the UKGC licensing regime. The cost side is set out in our UKGC and MGA licence cost comparison. HMRC guidance sets Remote Gaming Duty at 40% on or after 1 April 2026, charged on gaming provider profits from play by customers who usually live in the UK. Providers based in Gibraltar must register for the duty at least 14 days before starting business, against 31 days for most other overseas providers.

UKGC Licence Condition 2.1.1 requires remote casino, bingo and betting licensees, other than ancillary licensees, to apply for a licence variation under section 104 of the UK Gambling Act 2005 before adding or relocating key equipment to a different jurisdiction. For a UKGC licensee, moving equipment into or out of Gibraltar is therefore a UK variation event as well as a Gibraltar one. Operators should take advice from qualified Gibraltar and UK counsel on structure before filing.

Key Resources

The consolidated Gambling Act 2005 on gibraltarlaws.gov.gi, with Schedule 8 of the Gambling Act 2025 for transitional rules, is the starting text. The Gambling Commissioner’s Code of Practice for the Remote Gambling Industry (v.1.0.2026) is available through the Gibraltar government’s remote gambling page and the Gambling Division. HMRC’s “Changes to Gambling Duties” policy paper (Autumn Budget 2025) covers the UK duty position.

Matt Denney

Editorial · gamingcompliance.io

Reads the primary source so you don't have to. Fifteen years inside iGaming compliance: operator, supplier, and crown-corporation lottery.