Operator identity · QUICK REFERENCE
Reading a website footer critically
A footer is a convenient place to find identity claims, but it remains a statement made by the website. Save the relevant text and follow its references to the issuing organisation independently. Record whether a licence claim names an entity, a number, a regulator and a scope that can actually be compared.
A practical checklist
- Capture the footer with its URL and date.
- Separate company-registration claims from licensing claims.
- Check the issuing source outside the website.
Putting it in context
A footer displaying a regulator logo without a searchable licence number gives you a claim to investigate, not a completed verification.
Keep in mind
Visual badges and copyright years do not establish current authorisation.
References & further reading
The checklist and examples are original editorial guidance. External links provide background within their stated scope; they do not validate an individual operator or case.
- Operator Atlas: research methodologyOur original editorial method
- Gambling Commission: Stake leaving the GB marketGreat Britain · historical notice, 12 February 2025
About this edition: how the content is made · corrections & limitations