Licence conditions and codes of practice
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What are licence conditions?
There are four types of licence condition that may be attached
to operating licences, under the Gambling Act 2005: general and
individual conditions (which are attached by the Gambling
Commission), conditions imposed by the Secretary of State (made
through statutory instruments) and statutory conditions imposed by
the Gambling Act 2005 itself.
- General licence conditions can be applied to an individual
operating licence or a class of operating licence (for example, all
betting operating licences).
- Individual licence conditions can be applied to an individual
operating licence. They are likely to address matters concerning an
individual operator and their activities.
- Conditions imposed by the Secretary of State may be applied to
a class of operating licence.
- Statutory conditions may be applied to a class of operating
licence.
What are codes of practice?
We issue codes of practice under section 24 of the Gambling Act
2005, about the manner in which
facilities for gambling are provided to ensure that:
- gambling is conducted in a fair and open way
- children and other vulnerable
people are protected from being harmed or exploited by
gambling
- assistance is made available
to people who are, or may be, affected by problems related to
gambling.
Codes of practice are either:
- social responsibility code provisions - which must be adhered
to by all licence holders
- ordinary code provisions – these do not have the status of
licence conditions but failure to take account of them can be used
as evidence in criminal or civil proceedings.
How do I get a copy of the Gambling Commission’s licence
conditions and codes of practice?
A copy of the
Licence
conditions and codes of practice - consolidated December 2011* (LCCP) is available on
our website. This is the current version of the LCCP.
*LCCP consolidated version December
2011
LCCP was last published in March 2011. Since
then three supplements have been issued and licence holders
notified of the changes. The information in these supplements has
now been incorporated into this consolidated edition. There are no
other changes.
Extracts
from the LCCP, applicable to each type of licence, are also
available on our website.
When a licence is issued, the licence holder will receive an
extract of the LCCP, specific to the activities their licence
allows them to carry out.
Should we make any changes to the full LCCP
document, a revised copy will be sent to licence holders. This will
be sent out before the revised conditions and codes of practice
come into effect. This gives licence holders time to learn about
how any changes will affect their business. We only make changes to
the LCCP where necessary and based on our experience of
implementing the conditions and codes. Changes are only made
following consultation.
If required, we will add, remove or alter individual conditions
and codes and publish these as supplements to accompany the
current version of the LCCP. If we change any condition or
code we will inform all licence holders affected by the
changes.
Do licence conditions and codes of practice only apply
to new licences?
No. Licence conditions and codes apply to new and existing
licences, including:
- any holder of a personal or operating licence issued under the
Gambling Act 2005
- converted society lottery operating licences which will replace
current registrations under the Lotteries and Amusements Act
1976
- gaming machine technical operating licences to continuing
machine supply or maintenance (certificates issued under section 27
of the Gaming Act 1968)
- any interim personal or operating licence a person holds
(pending final determination of their licence
application).
What happens if I do not comply with the licence conditions and
codes of practice?
We have powers to take action against licensed operators
who fail to comply with the conditions of their licence or codes of
practice.
Page last reviewed: January 2012