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Guidance

Information requirements from licensing authorities

Details on the information that we require from licensing authorities.

Published
20 October 2021

Last updated
20 October 2021 - Changes

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Age verification test purchasing results

It is an offence under section 48 (opens in a new tab) and section 49 (opens in a new tab) of the Gambling Act 2005 for a young person to gamble or to enter premises restricted to adults. It is also an offence for a person to invite or permit a child to gamble or enter a premise under section 46 (opens in a new tab) and section 47 (opens in a new tab) of the Gambling Act 2005.

For these reasons, we encourage licensing authorities to conduct age verification test purchasing of the gambling premises they licence as well as other premises where gambling machines are situated, such as pubs.

We further encourage licensing authorities to send us the results of age verification test purchasing they, or organisations contracted by them, have conducted.

We use age verification test purchase data to assess the effectiveness of age verification policies and procedures on a licensee, sector, and industry-wide basis.

To simplify this reporting, we ask licensing authorities to use a templated MS Excel Open XML format spreadsheet, a blank copy of which can be downloaded.

Completed spreadsheets are to be submitted to testpurchaseresults@gamblingcommission.gov.uk, ideally within 28 days of the end of the UK financial quarter in which the test purchasing took place.

Additionally, licensing authorities must tell us the total number of age verification test purchases they have made in their annual Licensing Authority return.

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