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
- - 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
- - Introduction
- - Operating licences
- - How operating licences are granted
- - Operating licence conditions and codes
- - Personal licences
- - Premises licences
- Part 3: The Gambling Commission
- - Introduction
- - Main functions of the Commission
- - Relationship between the Commission and licensing authorities
- Part 4: Licensing authorities
- Part 5: Principles to be applied by licensing authorities
- - Licensing objectives
- - Section 153 principles
- - Codes of practice
- - Good practice in regulation
- - Human Rights Act 1998
- - Other considerations
- 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
- - Introduction
- - Premises
- - Access to premises
- - Multiple activity premises – layout and access
- - Applications
- - Application for premises variation (s.187): ‘material change’
- - Consideration of planning permission and building regulations
- Part 8: Responsible authorities and interested parties definitions
- Part 9: Premises licence conditions
- - Introduction
- - Conditions and authorisations by virtue of the Act
- - Conditions attached through regulations made by the Secretary of State or Scottish Ministers – all premises
- - Conditions that may not be attached to premises licences by licensing authorities
- Part 10: Review of premises licence by licensing authority
- - Introduction
- - Initiation of review by licensing authority
- - Application for a review
- - Carrying out a review
- Part 11: Provisional statements
- Part 12: Rights of appeal and judicial review
- Part 13: Information exchange
- - Underlying principles
- - Information licensing authorities provide to the Commission
- - Other licensing authority information requirements
- Part 14: Temporary use notices
- Part 15: Occasional use notices
- Part 16: Gaming machines
- - Introduction
- - Categories of gaming machine
- - Age restrictions
- - Maximum number of machines by premises type
- - Multiple activity premises
- - The meaning of ‘available for use’
- - Machines other than gaming machines in gambling premises
- 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
- - Introduction
- - Protection of children and young persons
- - Gaming machines
- - Self-exclusion
- - Bingo in clubs and alcohol-licensed premises
- - Bingo premises licence conditions
- Part 19: Betting premises
- - Introduction
- - Protection of children and young persons
- - Gaming machines
- - Self-exclusion
- - Self-service betting terminals (SSBTs)
- - Betting premises licence conditions
- - Industry codes
- 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
- - Introduction
- - Protection of children and young persons
- - Self-exclusion
- - Gaming machines
- - AGC premises licence conditions
- Part 22: Licensed family entertainment centres
- - Introduction
- - Protection of children and young persons
- - Meaning of premises
- - Licensed FEC premises licence conditions
- Part 23: Introduction to permits
- Part 24: Unlicensed family entertainment centres
- - Introduction
- - Applying for a permit
- - Granting or refusing a permit
- - Lapse, surrender and forfeiture
- - Renewal
- - Maintenance
- Part 25: Clubs
- - Defining clubs
- - Bingo in clubs
- - Betting in clubs
- - Exempt gaming
- - Protection of children and young persons
- - Permits
- - Appeals
- Part 26: Premises licensed to sell alcohol
- - Introduction
- - Automatic entitlement to two machines
- - Licensed premises gaming machine permits
- - Exempt gaming
- - Bingo
- - Betting
- - Commission codes of practice
- - Scotland
- - Protection of children and young persons
- - Prohibited gaming
- Part 27: Prize gaming and prize gaming permits
- Part 28: Non-commercial and private gaming, betting and lotteries
- - Introduction
- - Non-commercial gaming
- - Private gaming
- - Private betting
- - Incidental lotteries
- - Non-commercial ‘casino night’
- - Non-commercial race night
- Part 29: Poker
- - Introduction
- - Poker in casinos
- - Poker as exempt gaming in clubs and alcohol licensed premises
- - Poker as non-commercial gaming
- - Poker as private gaming
- - Advertising
- 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
- - 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
- - Fees
- - Enforcement officers and authorised persons
- - Powers of entry – England and Wales
- - Powers of entry in Scotland
- - Illegal gambling
- - Test purchasing and age verification
- - Primary Authority
- - Prosecutions
- - Other powers
- - Case law, templates and case studies
- 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
RTS 6 – Result determination for play-for-free games
Applies to:
Gaming (including bingo), lotteries and betting on virtual events.
RTS aim 6
To minimise the risk that customers are misled about the likelihood of winning due to the behaviour of play-for-free games.
RTS requirement 6A
Play-for-free games must implement the same game rules as the corresponding play-for-money games offered on the same facilities (that is, the same website). Operators must take all reasonable steps to ensure that play-for-free games accurately represent the likelihood of winning and prize distribution in the play-for-money game. For the purpose of this requirement playing a game includes participating in a lottery and/or betting on a virtual event.
RTS implementation guidance 6A
- The play-for-free game should use the same RNG as the corresponding play-for-money games, another RNG that fulfils the requirements set out in RTS requirement 7A, or a publicly available RNG, (such as those available as standard within operating systems) that may reasonably be expected to produce no systematic bias.
- Where 6A is not reasonably possible, it should be demonstrated that the method of producing outcomes does not introduce a systematic bias, for example:
- if tables of random numbers are used, they should be sufficiently long to support a large number of games without repeating
- the method should represent game probabilities accurately, ie it should not produce a higher than expected proportion of winning outcomes.
- The prize distribution should accurately represent the play-for-money game. For example, where play-for-free games use virtual cash, the virtual cash payouts should be the same as the corresponding play-for-money game, and where tokens are used, the allocation of tokens as prizes should be proportionate to the stakes and prizes in the play-for-money game.
- Where videos are used to advertise a game’s features it should be made clear to consumers where footage has been edited or sped-up for promotional purposes. Similarly, where a non-consumer (for example supplier’s) website is demonstrating a game with higher than normal returns (that is, on a website that is different to the real money gambling facility websites) it should be made clear that it is a demonstration game specifically designed to demonstrate the bonus features.
Last updated: 7 May 2024
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