Between 28 August and 21 September 2026, the Gambling Commission suspended the licences of three online bookmakers: BresBet, Bet St George and Ken Howell’s Sports Betting. In each case, the Commission states that the suspension does not prevent the operator from letting customers access their accounts and withdraw their funds.
Why were the licences suspended?
BresBet Ltd (bresbet.com) and Bet St George Ltd (betstgeorge.com) were suspended on 28 August 2026. The Commission’s enquiries had revealed suspected social responsibility and anti-money laundering failings.
On 4 September 2026, both companies surrendered their operating licences. The Commission reminded them that it expects them to have plans in place, and to take all necessary steps, so that customers are not unnecessarily disadvantaged.
Targetlocal Ltd, which trades as Ken Howell’s Sports Betting (kenhowells.com), was suspended on 21 September 2026, after enquiries revealed anti-money laundering failings. The suspension will remain in place until the Commission is satisfied that the business is compliant. Its licence for land-based betting is not affected.
Can you still withdraw your balance?
The suspension itself does not prevent the operator from letting customers withdraw their funds. The operator is expected to treat customers fairly, keep them informed of anything that affects them, and remain reachable through its website.
When a licensed gambling business closes, the Commission expects it to:
- give customers clear information, including by contacting them directly;
- tell customers with a complaint who to contact, and keep access to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service;
- try to meet all its liabilities, including honouring bets due to be settled after the closure.
Is your money protected if a bookmaker goes bust?
The Commission’s notices do not say that any of these three operators is insolvent. The rules below apply to any licensed gambling business.
Protection depends on the operator. Every licensed business must choose one of three ratings for customer funds (not protected, medium protection or high protection) and state it in its terms and conditions.
It must ask you to confirm that you understand this rating after your first deposit. If your funds are not protected, it must remind you every six months and ask you to acknowledge it before you can use those funds to gamble.
For this purpose, customer funds include your deposits, the winnings owed to you and any bonus money you are entitled to. Money staked on open bets, where the event has not yet taken place, is not covered.
The Commission checks an operator’s financial situation when it grants a licence, but it does not monitor its financial health in real time.
How to check a bookmaker’s licence
The Gambling Commission’s public register can be searched by company name, trading name or website address. Each licence shows its status: active, suspended, surrendered or revoked, for example.
On 25 September 2026, the five bookmakers in our comparison (kwiff, William Hill, Fitzdares, Spreadex and BetMGM) were all listed with an active licence.
If you are in Great Britain and have been offered gambling by someone who does not appear to hold a licence, the Commission asks you to report it through its Tell us something in confidence page.
Safer gambling
GamStop is a free service that blocks your access to all gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain. The National Gambling Helpline is free and open 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133. Other tools are listed on our safer gambling page, and the new affordability rules are explained in our article on financial risk assessments.
Sources
Gambling Commission: Suspension of licences, BresBet Ltd and Bet St George Ltd (28 August 2026, updated 5 September 2026), Suspension of licence, Targetlocal Ltd (21 September 2026), Closing a Gambling Commission licensed gambling business, What we require of gambling businesses, Information on customer funds and the public register. Consulted on 25 September 2026.