Guidance
Guidance to licensing authorities
The Gambling Commission's guidance for licensing authorities.
Contents
- Changes to the Guidance for Licensing Authorities
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Part 1: General guidance on the role and responsibilities of licensing authorities in gambling regulation
- - 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
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Part 6: Licensing authority policy statement
- - Introduction
- - Fundamental principles
- - Form and content
- - Other matters to be considered
- - Local risk assessments
- - Local area profile
- - Declaration by licensing authority
- - Consultation
- - Reviewing and updating the policy statement
- - Advertisement and publication
- - Additional information to be made available
- 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
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Part 17: Casinos
- - 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
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Part 20: Tracks
- - 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
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Part 34: Small society lotteries
- - 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
3 - Other licensing authority information requirements
13.13. Licensing authorities are also required to maintain the following information (Schedule 11, Part 5, para 44 of the Gambling Act 2005 (opens in new tab)):
- small society lotteries: licensing authorities are required to record details of the lottery on a register and to notify both the applicant and the Commission of this registration
- club gaming permits: when they either grant or reject an application for a club gaming permit they are required to inform both the applicant and the Commission.
13.14. There is a range of statutory application forms and notices that licensing authorities are required to use as part of their gambling licensing responsibilities. A summary list of these can be found in Appendix E.
13.15. Licensing authorities provide advice to those who make enquiries to them, about the legal responsibilities involved in providing premises or holding permits for gambling, whether or not they currently hold a licence or a permit.
13.16. Licensing authorities should feel free to signpost enquiries relating to operating or personal licences to the Commission.
Information the Commission makes available to licensing authorities
13.17. The Commission is required under s.106 of the Act to maintain a register of operating licence holders and make this publicly available. Where a licensing authority needs to check if an applicant for a premises licence holds an operating licence, verification can be found on the register.
Local Authority Compliance Events (LACE)
13.18. In order to make the system of shared regulation as effective and efficient as possible, the Commission notifies licensing authorities of complaints and intelligence received regarding non-compliance and illegality in their geographical area which is primarily of a localised nature. These are referred to as Local Authority Compliance Events (LACE). The responsibility for the LACE referral is then discharged from the Commission to the licensing authority. Licensing authorities are requested to advise the Commission of what, if any, action is taken.
13.19. The complaints that instigate the LACE referrals come from a variety of sources including licensed operators and members of the public. A number of them are received anonymously via the Commission’s intelligence line.
Other information
13.20. The Commission makes other information available to licensing authorities through a range of sources including the Local Authority Bulletin, training events and forums. Further details are set out in Part 3 of this guidance at paragraphs 3.6 onwards.
Previous sectionInformation licensing authorities provide to the Commission
Last updated: 14 September 2023
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