Cookies on the Gambling Commission website

The Gambling Commission website uses cookies to make the site work better for you. Some of these cookies are essential to how the site functions and others are optional. Optional cookies help us remember your settings, measure your use of the site and personalise how we communicate with you. Any data collected is anonymised and we do not set optional cookies unless you consent.

Set cookie preferences

You've accepted all cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Licensing authorities
  3. LA Bulletin

Reference materials

LAs are reminded that we have a number of quick guides. Some are designed to give to operators when undertaking visits, others provide an accessible ‘how to’ for licensing staff:

Examples of non-complex category D gaming machines and information about how they should be correctly labelled as category D non-complex crane grab machines is also available in this section of the website.

Example letter templates are also available, which LAs may wish to use when dealing with issues such as illegal machines in pubs, and illegal poker or betting in pubs and third parties running poker in clubs.

We also have compiled a list of sample conditions that LA have attached to premises licences. These are provided for illustrative purposes only. They provide examples of sorts of conditions a licensing authority may wish to think about when addressing similar evidenced based concerns within a local area.

Licensing authority inspection outcome letters and inspection guidance

A partnership between the Commission, members of the Leicestershire Licensing Forum and the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), have worked together since 2013 to produce range of documents intended to assist LA teams when carrying out inspections of gambling premises. These forms were updated in May and the LLEP project’s website has been updated with the new versions of the forms. If you had previously downloaded the assessment forms – please replace them with the updated versions.

Gambling Act statutory notices and forms

LAs are advised that DCMS has asked the Commission to host all the statutory notices and application forms on the Commission’s website as they are no longer available on the DCMS website.

Using the right forms

It is a statutory requirement that applicants use the correct forms to give proper notice of applications, variations etc to all responsible authorities, including the Commission (part 3, s 12 and 13 of the Gambling Act 2005 (Premises Licences and Provisional Statements) Regulations 2007 (opens in new tab)).

LAs also have statutory duties to notify the Commission as well as the applicant and other responsible authorities of the grant/rejection of applications (new, variations, transfers etc) as well as the revocation, surrender or lapse of a premises licence using the correct statutory forms.

Having all the statutory forms (both in English and in Welsh) in one place should help you to comply with those statutory processes.

Additionally we are aware that the gambling pages on many LA websites signpost applicants to the DCMS website for more information. As you will know the separate government departments now all use the www.gov.uk (opens in new tab) website and much of the historic gambling material is no longer available. LAs may wish to review and update their websites, signposting to the Commission’s website where appropriate.

Statutory notifications and premises licence register

LAs are reminded that the information on the publicly available premises register is based on the statutory notifications received from LAs regarding grants, variations, revocations, lapses etc, and is updated monthly. LAs are encouraged to use email to submit details of grants, transfers, notices, revocations, permits by sending all necessary correspondence to info@gamblingcommission.gov.uk. Where email notification has been made it is not necessary to follow up by post.

In relation to gaming machines, please only share notices of grant/rejection of Club Machines Permits and Gaming Machine Permits, as there is no requirement to advise us when an alcohol licence holder submits their notification for an automatic entitlement to two gaming machines.

However LAs must keep a record of how many automatic entitlement notifications it receives each year, as that information is requested in the annual LA returns.

Find operating licence holders

We also publish the names of all companies and individuals who hold, or have applied for, operating licences in Great Britain along with the names of companies or individuals whose licences have lapsed, been revoked, forfeited, expired, suspended or surrendered in the last 6 months. LAs are reminded to check the operator licence quoted on premises applications with the register before granting a premises licence.

An application for premises licence may only be made by persons who have an operating licence which allows them to carry out the proposed activity for example a bingo operating licence for a bingo premises, or have applied for an operating licence (although the premises licence cannot be determined until an operating licence has been issued).

Change of licensing personnel?

We try to ensure our contact records are up-to-date, but please help us out by letting us know when there are any changes of gambling contacts in your LA so that our communications reach the correct person.

Join our LinkedIn group

The licensing officers and LAs group (opens in new tab) is aimed at helping licensing officers understand the key role LAs play in gambling regulation in Great Britain.

You can share good practice and find out how LAs have a number of regulatory functions including issuing premises licences, regulating gaming and gaming machines in clubs and pubs, inspection and enforcement of licences and lots more.

You can also follow the LinkedIn Gambling Commission company page (opens in new tab).

Files

Some files may not be accessible for users of assistive technology. If you require a copy of the file in an accessible format contact us with details of what you require. It would help us to know what technology you use and the required format.

PDF Files Some PDF files cannot be displayed in a browser, you will see a message saying "Please wait...". If you see this message, you will need to download the file and open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader (opens in new tab).

Previous page
LA Bulletin October 2018 - Information sharing

Last updated: 8 December 2023

Show updates to this content

Following an audit the 'www.gov.uk' link has been updated.

Is this page useful?
Back to top