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
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- 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
- Part 6: Licensing authority policy statement
- 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
- Part 17: Casinos
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- 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
- Part 20: Tracks
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- 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
- Part 34: Small society lotteries
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- 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: 18 September 2024
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