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.