A practical checklist for checking a bookmaker licence, domain, company identity, terms, payments and safer-gambling controls.
Pre-registration checklist
Check the legal entity, domain, licence scope, account rules, payments and safer-gambling controls before you register or deposit.
Start with the regulator, not the logo.
A licence badge or copied number on a website is only a claim until it matches an official register.
Quick test
You should be able to identify the company behind the site, the regulator that covers the relevant market, the exact domain connected to that licence, the main account terms and a working support route. If those basics are hidden or inconsistent, stop before sharing personal information or money.
Look in the footer, terms, licence notice and contact information. Record the legal company name, trading name and domain. Similar brand names do not prove common ownership.
Search the regulator named by the operator and confirm the licence is active, covers the relevant activity and lists the domain or trading name. For Great Britain, use the UK Gambling Commission business register. Readers elsewhere should use their own regulator.
Check age and location restrictions, identity verification, dormant-account rules, bonus wagering, eligible markets, maximum bets and withdrawal conditions. The Gambling Commission’s opening-account guidance explains information licensed Great Britain operators should provide.
Confirm supported deposit and withdrawal methods, ownership rules, fees, limits, processing stages and whether verification is required. Save a dated copy of the terms relevant to your transaction.
Look for deposit or loss limits, time-outs, self-exclusion, reality checks, complaints information and a support channel that works without requiring sensitive account details in public.
Stop signs
The register does not list the website, the status is inactive, or the legal entity differs without explanation.
Withdrawal limits, fees, verification or bonus conditions appear only after deposit or conflict across pages.
The site creates false urgency, asks you to bypass local restrictions, or requests passwords, one-time codes or unnecessary documents.
Only use services available to adults in your location, set limits before betting, and never treat gambling as income or a way to recover losses.