Gambling licences

The Gambling Act 2005 gives the council a number of important functions in the regulations of gambling

The types of licence are:

• Casino premises licence
• Bingo premises licence
• Adult gaming centre premises licence, enabling Category B gaming machines to be made available for use at the premises
• Family entertainment centre premises licence, enabling Category C gaming machines to be made available for use at the premises
• Betting premises licence, enabling the provision of facilities for betting, by making or accepting bets or by acting as a betting intermediary.

How to apply

An application for a premises licence may only be made by the persons/companies/partnerships who have the right to occupy the premises and have the relevant operating licence which allows them to carry out the proposed activity.

Except in the case of a track, a premises may not authorise the use of premises for activities of more than one type listed above. A licence may not be issued if those premises already have a premise licence in effect.

Provisional statements

A person can make an application for a provisional statement in respect to a premise they:

• Expect to be constructed
• Expect to be altered
• Expect to acquire a right to occupy

A person can apply for a provisional statement without first acquiring an operating licence from the Gambling Commission. 

Temporary use notices

A gambling operator with a Temporary Use Notice is able to temporarily provide facilities for gambling at a premise with no licence. These typically include hotels, conference centres, and sporting venues.

The person or company applying for a Temporary Use Notice must already hold a relevant operating licence issued by the Gambling Commission. 

The same set of premises may be the subject of several Temporary Use Notices in any 12 month period providing they don’t exceed 21 days.