Guidance
Guidance to licensing authorities
The Gambling Commission's guidance for licensing authorities.
Contents
- Legislative changes and Changes to the Guidance to Licensing Authorities (GLA) - 1 April 2021
- 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
Issue 1e (i) - Reviewing limits and feedback on gambling activity: increasing and decreasing limits
Proposals
We consulted on the following proposals:
strengthening the wording of the current requirements around actioning customer requests to increase limits, by removing references of “all reasonable steps”
elevating current implementation guidance to a requirement that all customer requests to decrease a financial limit must be actioned immediately
an amendment to current implementation guidance that operators should inform customers when limits will take effect, if not automated or due to technical issues.
Consultation questions
To what extent do you agree with amended wording in relation to controls around actioning customers’ requests to increase limits?
To what extent do you agree with the proposal that customer-led reductions in limits must be implemented immediately?
To what extent do you agree with the revised wording of the implementation guidance, specifically to inform customers when the limit reduction will take effect, if not automated or due to technical issues?
Respondents’ views
Regarding these proposed amendments to the wording and elevating the status of the provisions from implementation guidance to requirements, a small number of respondents felt that there should be no allowance made for technical failures or issues, and some felt that the cooling off period should be longer than 24 hours. Some respondents commented that it was possible to circumvent the cooling off period for increasing limits by applying new limits of a different duration. The majority of respondents supported all 3 proposals.
Our position
Our view is that a minimum of 24 hours still presents sufficient delay to allow for reflection and preventing potentially impulsive decisions and is an example of friction being applied to the customer journey which is designed to be beneficial for consumers. A significantly longer mandated cooling-off period would reduce agility and responsiveness in the system which may lead to unintended consequences, such as customers avoiding setting limits or removing limits completely.
For the avoidance of doubt, customer-led actions such as applying a new limit of a different duration which would result in an immediate increase, or removing limits from the account, should be treated in the same manner as an increase to the limit and therefore subject to the same cooling-off period (during which the most restrictive limit would continue to apply) and confirmation by the customer that they wish to increase their limit.
We are proceeding with the introduction of the changes to the requirements and implementation guidance.
Final wording
This requirement will come into force on 31 October 2025.
Applies to: All gambling – except subscription lotteries.
RTS requirement 12D
Customer-led limits must only be increased at the customer’s request, only after a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours has elapsed and only once the customer has taken positive action at the end of the cooling off period to confirm their request.
Unless systems/technical failures prevent it, customer-led reductions to limits must be implemented immediately.
RTS implementation guidance 12D
In the event of systems or technical failure not facilitating an automated and/or immediate reduction in limits, the customer should be informed when the limit reduction will take effect.
Last updated: 4 February 2025
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