Guidance
Guidance to licensing authorities
The Gambling Commission's guidance for licensing authorities.
Contents
- Changes to the Guidance for Licensing Authorities
-
Part 1: General guidance on the role and responsibilities of licensing authorities in gambling regulation
- - Introduction
- - Partnership working between the Commission and licensing authorities – shared regulation
- - Co-ordination and contact
- - Primary legislation
- - Statutory aim to permit gambling
- - The licensing objectives
- - Codes of practice
- - Licensing authority discretion (s.153 of the Act)
- - Local risk assessments
- - Licensing authority policy statement
- - Limits on licensing authority discretion
- - Other powers
- Part 2: The licensing framework
- Part 3: The Gambling Commission
- Part 4: Licensing authorities
- Part 5: Principles to be applied by licensing authorities
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Part 6: Licensing authority policy statement
- - Introduction
- - Fundamental principles
- - Form and content
- - Other matters to be considered
- - Local risk assessments
- - Local area profile
- - Declaration by licensing authority
- - Consultation
- - Reviewing and updating the policy statement
- - Advertisement and publication
- - Additional information to be made available
- Part 7: Premises licences
- Part 8: Responsible authorities and interested parties definitions
- Part 9: Premises licence conditions
- Part 10: Review of premises licence by licensing authority
- Part 11: Provisional statements
- Part 12: Rights of appeal and judicial review
- Part 13: Information exchange
- Part 14: Temporary use notices
- Part 15: Occasional use notices
- Part 16: Gaming machines
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Part 17: Casinos
- - Casino premises
- - Casino games
- - Protection of children and young persons
- - The process for issuing casino premises licences
- - Resolutions not to issue casino licences
- - Converted casinos (with preserved rights under Schedule 18 of the Act)
- - Casino premises licence conditions
- - Mandatory conditions – small casino premises licences
- - Mandatory conditions – converted casino premises licences
- - Default conditions attaching to all casino premises licences
- - Self-exclusion
- Part 18: Bingo
- Part 19: Betting premises
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Part 20: Tracks
- - Definition of a track
- - Track premises licences – differences from other premises licences
- - Betting on tracks
- - Licences and other permissions for the provision of betting facilities
- - Betting on event and non-event days
- - Social responsibility considerations for tracks
- - Gaming machines
- - Self-service betting terminals (SSBTs)
- - Applications
- - Licence conditions and requirements
- Part 21: Adult gaming centres
- Part 22: Licensed family entertainment centres
- Part 23: Introduction to permits
- Part 24: Unlicensed family entertainment centres
- Part 25: Clubs
- Part 26: Premises licensed to sell alcohol
- Part 27: Prize gaming and prize gaming permits
- Part 28: Non-commercial and private gaming, betting and lotteries
- Part 29: Poker
- Part 30: Travelling fairs
- Part 31: Crown immunity and excluded premises
- Part 32: Territorial application of the Gambling Act 2005
- Part 33: Door supervision
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Part 34: Small society lotteries
- - Small society lotteries
- - The status of lotteries under the Act
- - Licensing authority guidance
- - Social responsibility
- - External lottery managers’ licence status
- - Lottery tickets
- - Prizes
- - Specific offences in relation to lotteries
- - Application and registration process for small society lotteries
- - Administration and returns
- Part 35: Chain gift schemes
- Part 36: Compliance and enforcement matters
- Appendix A: Summary of machine provisions by premises
- Appendix B: Summary of gaming machine categories and entitlements
- Appendix C: Summary of gaming entitlements for clubs and alcohol-licensed premises
- Appendix D: Summary of offences under the Gambling Act 2005
- Appendix E: Summary of statutory application forms and notices
- Appendix F: Inspection powers
- Appendix G: Licensing authority delegations
- Appendix H: Poker games and prizes
- Appendix I: Glossary of terms
Appendix C: Summary of gaming entitlements for clubs and alcohol-licensed premises
Members’ club or MW institute with club gaming permit | Clubs established to provide facilities for gaming of a prescribed kind (currently bridge or whist clubs) | Members’ club or commercial club with club machine permit | Members’ club, commercial club or MW institute without a club gaming permit or club machine permit | Pubs and other alcohol-licensed premises | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Equal chance gaming | Yes | Bridge and/or Whist only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Limits on stakes | No limit | No limit | Poker £1000 / week £250 / day £10 /person per game Other gaming No limit | Poker £1000 / week £250 / day £10 /person per game Other gaming No limit | Poker £100 / premises per day Other gaming £5 / person per game Cribbage and dominoes No limit |
Limits on prizes | No limit | No limit | Poker £250 / game Other gaming No limit | Poker £250 / game Other gaming No limit | Poker £100 / game Other gaming No limit |
Max participation fees – per person per day | Bridge/whist† £20 Other gaming £3 | £18 (without club gaming permit) £20 (with club gaming permit | Bridge/whist† £18 Other gaming £3 (for a commercial club) £1 (members’ club) | Bridge/whist† £18 Other gaming £1 | None permitted |
Bankers/unequal chance gaming | Pontoon Chemin de fer | None permitted | None permitted | None permitted | None permitted |
Limits on bingo†† | Maximum of £2,000 / week in stakes or prizes. | No bingo permitted | Maximum of £2,000 / week in stakes or prizes. | Maximum of £2,000 / week in stakes or prizes. | Maximum of £2,000 / week in stakes or prizes. |
References
† On a day when no other facilities for gaming are provided.
†† If more than the maximum, then an operating licence will be required.
Appendix B: Summary of gaming machine categories and entitlements Next section
Appendix D: Summary of offences under the Gambling Act 2005
Last updated: 14 September 2023
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