A Premises Licence, issued under the Gambling Act 2005, is required for any premises where an individual or company proposes to offer premises based gambling and are issued in respect of specific premises.
The types of Licence available are as follows:
- 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)
There are fees applicable to these processes.
- Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime;
- Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way; and
- Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
An application for a Premises Licence may only be made by persons (which includes companies or partnerships):
- who have the right to occupy the premises; and
- who have an Operating Licence which allows him/her to carry out the proposed activity, or have applied for an Operating Licence (the Premises Licence may only be issued once the Operating Licence has been issued) from the Gambling Commission.
An applicant for a Premises Licence must be over the age of 18.
All plans have to show:
(a) the extent of the boundary or perimeter of the premises;
(b) where the premises include, or consist of, one or more buildings, the location of any external or internal walls of each such building;
(c) where the premises form part of a building, the location of any external or internal walls of the building which are included in the premises;
(d) where the premises are a vessel or a part of a vessel, the location of any part of the sides of the vessel, and of any internal walls of the vessel, which are included in the premises;
(e) the location of each point of entry to and exit from the premises, including in each case a description of the place from which entry is made or to which the exit leads
Premises Licences with the below activities also have to show the following additional items:
Casinos
(a) the principal entrance to the premises of those identified in accordance with paragraph (6)(a) above;
(b) the location and extent of any part of the premises which will be a table gaming area;
(c) the location and extent of any other part of the premises which will be used for providing facilities for gambling in reliance on the licence; and
(d) the location and extent of any part of the premises which will be a non-gambling area.
Bingo
(a) the location and extent of any part of the premises which will be used to provide facilities for gaming in reliance on the licence (other than those parts which include Category B or C gaming machines);
(b) the location and extent of any part of the premises in which Category B or C gaming machines will be made available for use in reliance on the licence;
(c) the nature and location of any barrier or other thing separating any part of the premises in which Category B or C gaming machines will be made available for use from any other part of the premises.
Adult Gaming Centre
(a) the location and extent of any part of the premises in which gaming machines will be
Family Entertainment Centre
(a) the location and extent of any part of the premises in which Category C gaming machines will be made available for use in reliance on the licence;
(b) the location and extent of any part of the premises in which Category D gaming machines will be made available for use in reliance on the licence; and
(c) the nature and location of any barrier or other thing separating any part of the premises in which Category C gaming machines will be made available for use from any other part of the premises.
Betting (other than a track)
(a) the location and extent of any part of the premises which will be used to provide facilities for gambling in reliance on the licence.
Betting (in respect of a track)
(a) the location and extent of any part of the premises which is a five times rule betting area;
(b) the location and extent of any other parts of the premises which will be used for providing facilities for betting in reliance on the licence;
(c) the location and extent of any part of the premises in which Category B or C gaming machines will be made available for use in reliance on the licence;
(d) the nature and location of any barrier or other thing separating any part of the premises in which Category B or C gaming machines will be made available for use from any other part of the premises.
All contested applications are referred to the Council’s Licensing & Regulatory Licensing Sub-Committee (which consists of 3 elected Councillors) to consider the objections in relation to the application.
You will be invited to attend and make your application to the Sub-Committee, you may ask questions of the Sub-Committee and of the objectors. In turn you may be required to answer questions raised by the Sub-Committee or the objectors. Hearings are normally heard in public and as a result members of the press and public may be in attendance.
A copy of the procedures the Sub-Committee follow can be found in the download section elsewhere on this page as well as some guidance for persons attending a hearing.
Yes, the holder of a Premises Licence has to:
(a) keep the Licence on the premises, and
(b) arrange for it to be made available on request to:
(i) a constable,
(ii) an enforcement officer, or
(iii) an authorised local authority officer.
It is also a requirement of the Act that the Summary is displayed in a prominent place within the premises.