Gambling sectors

What operating licences do I need - casinos?


 

The following types of licence apply to casinos and remote casino businesses. Please read the details below to see which licence you need:

Activities you undertake in relation to the above licences may bring with them other licensing requirements in relation to gaming machines or gambling software.

1968 Act casino operating licence

If you are running a casino that was originally licensed under the Gaming Act 1968, you should already have an operating licence from us.

If you wish to take over a casino business which operates under a 1968 Act casino operating licence, you should contact us to find out what you need to do.

Non-remote 2005 Act casino operating licence

This licence allows you to run either a small casino or a large casino.

Non-remote 2005 Act small casino

If you would like to run a small casino under the 2005 Act, you should have a minimum table gaming area of 500 square metres and a minimum non-gambling area of 250 square metres.

You are allowed a maximum of 80 gaming machines from category B1 to D but not category B3A. The number of category B1 machines you are allowed depends on the table ratio of the gambling area.

You can offer any of the games listed in our types and rules of casino games at a small casino.

You can only run a small casino in the following local licensing authority areas:

  • Bath and North East Somerset District Council
  • East Lindsey District Council
  • Luton Borough Council
  • Scarborough Borough Council
  • Swansea City and County Council
  • Torbay Borough Council
  • Wigtown Divisional Licensing Board in the area of Dumfries and Galloway Council
  • Wolverhampton City Council.


Non-remote 2005 Act large casino

If you would like to run a large casino under the 2005 Act, you should have a minimum table gaming area of 1,000 square metres and a minimum non-gambling area of 500 square metres.

You are allowed a maximum of 150 gaming machines from category B1 to D but not categroy B3A. The number of category B1 machines you are allowed depends on the table ratio of the gambling area.

You can offer any of the games listed in our types and rules of casino games at a large casino.

You can only run a large casino in the following local licensing authority areas:

  • Great Yarmouth Borough Council
  • Kingston upon Hull City Council
  • Leeds City Council
  • Middlesbrough Borough Council
  • Milton Keynes Borough Council
  • Newham London Borough Council
  • Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
  • Southampton City Council.

Apply for an operating licence.

The large casino licence allows you to operate both large and small casinos. The casinos must be in the local licensing authority areas as noted above.

Ancillary remote

If you are applying for non-remote licence types, but still want to offer some casino gaming in a single premises (not linked with gaming that takes place on another set of premises) by  remote means, such as hand held terminals, you must add an ancillary remote licence to your main licence type.

The Gambling Commission considers an activity to be ancillary to the specified licensed activity when an activity is only an additional or secondary activity to the specified licensed activity.

Remote casino operating licence

You will need a remote casino operating licence if you want to offer casino games via an online casino, mobile phone, TV or other online service that offers casino games. This includes poker, roulette, blackjack and other casino games from our types and rules of casino games.

Apply for an operating licence.

 

Page last reviewed: June 2012

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