What you need to send us when you apply for an operating licence: small businesses

If your business is a limited company that has already been trading for a year or more. Audited accounts should also be provided for any parent and/or holding company.

For all businesses. Bank statements for all accounts operated by your business for the last six months. These must be in the name of the applicant and show sort code and International Bank Account Number (IBAN) Business Identifier Code.

For new businesses not yet operating bank accounts: other equivalent evidence of financial standing and the Commission may request additional information.

A brief document that sets out the reason for the licence application, the activities that will be undertaken, how the business is being funded, where the business will operate, the medium term goals of the business and how success will be measured.

If your business is a limited company.

If your business is a limited company based outside the United Kingdom.
If your business is sole trader or partnership based outside the United Kingdom, personal credit reports.

Copies of existing gambling-related licences, if your business is already licensed outside Great Britain. If applications are in progress in jurisdictions outside GB but not yet completed please provide details.

A 12 month profit/loss forecast including a commentary on the assumptions that have been made in creating the forecast.

If your business is a limited company and is part of a larger corporate structure. The chart should show all the companies within the group structure and demonstrate the nature of the link and the percentage of holdings. With a complicated group structure a commentary should also be provided in the business plan.

For sole proprietors and partnerships, if a loan has been obtained to fund the business provide a copy of the loan agreement.

For all other businesses, provide copies of all loan agreements linked to the company.

If your business is a limited company.

For all businesses. The chart should show who has a financial interest in the business. Anyone with a 3% equity or more in the company must be named and the percentage of their holding shown. Anyone with a 10% or more equity is a financial controller and must submit an Annex A application or, if responsible for a key management function, a personal licence application.

If your business is a partnership of two or more people.

For all businesses. The structure should show all key management positions.

Written policies and procedures that explain how the business will meet the following licensing objectives in regard to all the activities applied for:

• keeping crime and disorder out of gambling
• ensuring that gambling is fair and open
• ensuring that children and vulnerable people are protected from being harmed by gambling
• promoting social responsibility in gambling.

The policies must cover all Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice that will apply to the business if a licence is granted and must be specifically include a complaints procedure and who will be the ADR for the business, the self-exclusion procedure, how the business will keep up-to-date with any changes to LCCP and legislation and, for premises-based businesses, evidence of a local risk assessment.

Submitting an industry trade body toolkit is not evidence by itself that you have satisfactory policies. You must demonstrate how you will be implementing the procedures in the toolkit specifically for your business.

Businesses providing remote casino, bingo and virtual event betting and/or non-remote casinos must provide an anti-money laundering policy.

 

Provide copies of the rules of play for the gambling being offered (where applicable).

Provide copies of the terms and conditions which customers must agree to prior to gambling (where applicable). If the terms and conditions are not yet finalised please provide a draft copy.

If your business is a trust or there is a trust involved in the ownership structure. Provide the name, date of birth and address of all trustees, beneficiaries, settlor and protector of the trust will be required. A beneficiary or a trustee will be required to submit an Annex A application.

Any quarterly, semi-annual or annual reports you have lodged with any government authority or regulator in the past five years.

All annual returns you have provided to any regulator for the past five years. This includes annual returns to any tax authority, annual returns to Companies House or overseas equivalent, and annual returns to the Charity Commission or overseas equivalent.

Details of any bonus schemes, profit sharing arrangements, pension schemes, retirement schemes, deferred compensation arrangements and similar plans you operate for any employees. You must include:

• the name and specifications of each scheme
• the trustee of each scheme where applicable
• the full terms and conditions of each scheme
• what type of employee/individual each scheme is available to
• what criteria an employee/individual must meet to qualify for each scheme.

 

Any constitution or constitutional documents. These are documents which define the existence of the entity and regulate the structure and control of the entity and its members.

A list of individuals you have compensated more than USD$250,000 (or GBP £200,000) in the last financial year. Compensation refers to dividends, bonuses, salaries, employee contract benefits/arrangements or any other remuneration. The list must include the full name of the individual; the amount of compensation they received during the last financial year; what form the compensation took; the reason the compensation was paid; the date the compensation started; the date it ended/is due to end; any terms or conditions of the compensation.

If you are a sole trader, you must provide personal identity documents.

Any insolvency, administration or liquidation reports relating to the business (or any parent or sister or subsidiary company of the business).

Documents relating to any public debt or equity offerings you have lodged in the past 12 months.

If the business is limited by share certificates for all shareholdings in the business of 10% or more.

Additional supporting documents for remote/online businesses