Contents

• Codes of practice
• 1.
  General
• 2.
  Financial requirements
• 3.
  Protection of children and other vulnerable persons
• 4.
  ‘Fair and open’ provisions
• 5.
  Marketing
• 6.
  Complaints and disputes
• 7.
  Gambling licensees’ staff
• 8.
  Information requirements
• 9.
  Gaming machines in gambling premises
• 10.
  Assessing local risk
• Section B - Equal chance gaming in clubs and premises with an alcohol licence
• Section C - Gaming machines in clubs and premises with an alcohol licence

10 - Assessing local risk

This is a consolidated version of the codes of practice for licensing authorities.

You can view the full Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice online.

10.1.1 - Assessing local risk

Applies to:

All non-remote casino, adult gaming centre, bingo, family entertainment centre, betting and remote betting intermediary (trading room only) licences, except non-remote general betting (limited) and betting intermediary licences.

Social responsibility code

Compliance with these is a condition of licences; therefore any breach of them by an operator may lead the Commission to review the operator’s licence with a view to suspension, revocation or the imposition of a financial penalty and would also expose the operator to the risk of prosecution.

1. Licensees must assess the local risks to the licensing objectives posed by the provision of gambling facilities at each of their premises, and have policies, procedures and control measures to mitigate those risks. In making risk assessments, licensees must take into account relevant matters identified in the licensing authority’s statement of licensing policy¹ .

2. Licensees must review (and update as necessary) their local risk assessments:

   1. to take account of significant changes in local circumstances, including those identified in a licensing authority’s statement of licensing policy;
   2. when there are significant changes at a licensee’s premises that may affect their mitigation of local risks;
   3. when applying for a variation of a premises licence; and
   4. in any case, undertake a local risk assessment when applying for a new premises licence.

References

¹This is the statement of licensing policy under the Gambling Act 2005.

10.1.2 - Sharing local risk assessments

Applies to:

All non-remote casino, adult gaming centre, bingo, family entertainment centre, betting and remote betting intermediary (trading room only) licences, except non-remote general betting (limited) and betting intermediary licences.

Ordinary code

These do not have the status of operator licence conditions but set out good practice. Operators may adopt alternative approaches to those set out in ordinary code provisions if they have actively taken account of the ordinary code provision and can demonstrate that an alternative approach is reasonable in the operator's particular circumstances; or that to take an alternative approach would be acting in a similarly effective manner. Ordinary codes of practice are admissible in evidence in criminal or civil proceedings and must be taken into account in any case in which the court or tribunal think them relevant, and by the Commission in the exercise of its functions; any departure from ordinary code provisions by an operator may be taken into account by the Commission on a licence review, but cannot lead to imposition of a financial penalty.

1. Licensees should share their risk assessment with licensing authorities when applying for a premises licence or applying for a variation to existing licensed premises, or otherwise on request.