Countdown to five-year personal licence maintenance fee payments - three months to go

Press release

Date: 1 June 2012

The Gambling Commission is again reminding personal licence holders to update the Commission on any changes to circumstances or key events that could affect their licence.  This is in advance of the first five-year personal licence maintenance fee payments due in September 2012, when the Commission will take the opportunity to complete a five-year maintenance check to ensure that the personal details of licence holders remain accurate.

Personal licence holders will be contacted by the Commission six weeks in advance of the date when their maintenance fee is due, using existing contact details. Payment of the appropriate fee must be made within 30 days of the fifth anniversary of their licence being issued as failure to do so may lead to a personal licence being revoked. 

As a condition of their licence, personal licence holders must tell the Commission about any convictions, changes of address, and other key events as they occur. Anyone who has previously failed to inform the Commission of such changes should do so as quickly as possible to help ensure their check is completed as smoothly as possible.

Over 4,500 holders of personal management licences and personal functional licences (the latter in the casino sector only) could be required to complete a check in the year beginning 1 September 2012. 

The Commission’s Head of Licensing, Sharon McNair said:

“If you’ve held a personal licence since 2007 now is the time to check you’ve kept the Commission informed of any changes to your circumstances.

“If you fail to pay your maintenance fee on time then your licence may be revoked.”

Further details on the personal licences section of the website.

Ends

Notes to editors

The Gambling Commission

  • 1. The Gambling Commission (the Commission) regulates gambling in the public interest alongside its co-regulators local licensing authorities. It does so by keeping crime out of gambling, by ensuring that gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and by protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling. The Commission also provides independent advice to government on gambling in Britain.
  • 2. The Commission and licensing authorities are responsible for licensing and regulating all gambling in Great Britain other than the National Lottery and spread betting, which are the responsibility of the National Lottery Commission and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) respectively. 
  • 3. See the terms & conditions section of our website for information on legal advice.
  • 4. Fees for the maintenance check are currently set by Parliament at £185 for a personal functional licence and £370 for a personal management licence. This covers the Commission’s licensing, compliance and enforcement activity regarding personal licence holders over a five-year cycle.
  • 5. The Commission has already been talking to trade bodies and key operators about the most efficient way to complete the maintenance fee collection and the maintenance checks and recently published its response to a public consultation that included plans to reduce reporting requirements from 15 August 2012. 
  • 6. Licence holders must notify us of any key event as soon as reasonably practicable and, in any event, within five working days of becoming aware of it. Key events can be reported by email to key.events@gamblingcommission.gov.uk.

Further information

  1. Further information is available from John Travers on (0121) 230 6700 or (07852) 124624  or by emailing communications@gamblingcommission.gov.uk.