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 - Prize gaming
27.1. S.288 defines gaming as prize gaming if the nature and size of the prize is not determined by the number of people playing or the amount paid for or raised by the gaming. Normally the prizes are determined by the operator before play commences.
Prize gaming permits
27.2. A prize gaming permit is a permit issued by the licensing authority to authorise the provision of facilities for gaming with prizes on specified premises.
Prize gaming without a prize gaming permit
27.3. A casino operating licence gives authority to provide all games of chance, except any form of bingo, which is excluded from the scope of the casino licence by s.68(3)(b). If a casino wishes to provide bingo generally, it would need to obtain a bingo operating licence, however, this is subject to the constraint that only one premises licence may be issued for any particular premises at any time (s.152) and so the premises would have to be distinct. Only casino premises licences for 2005 Act large casinos permit bingo to be offered within the casino premises (s.174). If a casino wishes to offer prize bingo, it could obtain a prize gaming permit, however, it is more likely that the casino will apply for an operating licence to cover all forms of bingo (subject to the constraint already mentioned).
27.4. S.291 enables any form of prize gaming to be provided in premises in reliance on their bingo operating licence. This provision allows bingo operators to provide prize gaming in respect of casino games as well as games of equal chance, which they would not otherwise be able to do under the conditions of their operating licence. In the case of bingo operators, the Commission or Secretary of State could impose conditions preventing specified games from being offered. Additionally, limits have been set on individual and aggregated stakes and prizes for prize gaming in bingo premises, the purpose of which is to ensure that such gaming is restricted to low stakes (SI No 2257/2007: The Gambling Act 2005 (Operating Licence Conditions) Regulations 2007 (opens in new tab) and SI No 774/2010: The Gambling Act 2005 (Operating Licence Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2010) (opens in new tab).
27.5. S.290 provides that any type of prize gaming may be provided in adult gaming centres (AGCs) and licensed family entertainment centres (FECs), and that unlicensed FECs may only offer equal chance prize gaming under the auspices of their gaming machine permit, without the need for a prize gaming permit.
27.6. S.292 provides that travelling fairs are also able to offer equal chance prize gaming without a permit, provided that, taken together, the facilities for gambling are an ancillary amusement at the fair.
27.7. Children and young persons may participate in equal chance prize gaming only.
27.8. S.293 sets out four conditions that permit holders, AGCs, FECs and travelling fairs must comply with to lawfully offer prize gaming. These are:
- the limits on participation fees, as set out in regulations (SI No 1272/2009: The Gambling Act 2005 (Limits on Prize Gaming) Regulations 2009) (opens in new tab), must be complied with
- all chances to participate in the gaming must be allocated on the premises on which the gaming is taking place and on one day; the game must be played and completed on the day the chances are allocated; and the result of the game must be made public in the premises on the day that it is played
- the prize for which the game is played must not exceed the amount set out in regulations (if a money prize), or the prescribed value (if non-monetary prize)
- participation in the gaming must not entitle the player to take part in any other gambling.
Application for a prize gaming permits
Last updated: 19 April 2023
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