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
1 - Casino premises
17.1. Under the Act, licensing authorities in England and Wales have the role of issuing premises licences for casinos and monitoring those licences. In Scotland the licensing boards are licensing authorities and continue to have responsibilities for granting permissions for casinos in the form of premises licences.
17.2. New casino premises licences issued under the Act will fall into one of two categories namely large casino premises licence or small casino premises licence. These are subject to separate regulations, involving a two-stage application process, detailed below.
17.3. In addition, there is a third category of casino that is permitted through transitional arrangements under Schedule 18 of the Act, which may be referred to as 1968 Act converted casinos. Most of these casinos fall below the size thresholds of the other two categories. Such casinos may operate as card clubs without offering casino games.
17.4. The gaming machines permitted to be made available in new casinos are related to the number of gaming tables available for use (SI 2009/1970: The Gambling Act 2005 (Gaming Tables in Casinos) (Definitions) Regulations 2009) (opens in new tab):
- no more than eight large casino premises licences will be permitted. Large casinos will have a minimum total customer area of 1,500m2. This category of casino will be able to offer casino games, bingo and/or betting and up to 150 gaming machines in any combination of categories B1 to D (except B3A lottery machines) provided that a maximum ratio of 5:1 gaming machines to gaming tables is met. Large casinos therefore need 30 gaming tables available for use to qualify for the maximum 150 machines. These facilities can be provided under a single licence (there are two new casinos operational, in Newham and Milton Keynes).
- no more than eight small casino premises licences will be permitted. Small casinos will have a minimum total customer area of 750m2. A small casino will be able to offer casino games, betting and up to 80 gaming machines in any combination of categories B1 to D (except B3A lottery machines) provided that a maximum ratio of 2:1 gaming machines to gaming tables is met. Small casinos therefore need 40 gaming tables available for use to qualify for the maximum 80 machines.
17.5. The Commission has become aware that in some instances, operators who hold a combined non-remote casino licence and betting operating licence, have looked into converting part of their casino premises to betting premises. Licensing authorities are reminded that when considering such applications, they must be satisfied that, if granted, the premises in question meets the relevant mandatory and default conditions for the relevant premises licence.
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Last updated: 14 September 2023
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