Land-Based Gambling Licence Solicitors

If you are not already operating land‑based gambling facilities and wish to offer gambling in premises in Great Britain (England, Wales or Scotland), you will need to apply for a non‑remote operating licence from the Gambling Commission. These licences are sector‑specific and include:

• 1968 Act Casino
• 2005 Act Casino
• Bingo
• Betting shops
• Adult gaming centres
• Licensed family entertainment centres.

Once an operating licence application has been submitted, you can then apply for the relevant premises licence. A Licensing Authority cannot determine a premises licence application unless a Gambling Commission operating licence has first been granted. 

Personal Management Licences (PMLs)

Certain individuals involved in land‑based gambling operations are also required to hold a Personal Management Licence. This includes those responsible for:

• The overall management and direction of the gambling business (such as a Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director or equivalent)
• Overall gambling strategy and delivery
• Financial planning, control and budgeting
• Marketing and commercial development
• Regulatory compliance
• Gambling‑related information technology and security
• The business’s anti‑money laundering and counter‑terrorist financing functions, including the Money Laundering Compliance Officer and Nominated Officer.

Individuals managing a casino or bingo premises must hold a PML before taking up their position. Where a company operates more than five venues, an operations manager must also hold a Personal Management Licence.

If you are an existing non‑remote operator and wish to expand into additional land‑based gambling sectors, you will usually need to apply to the Gambling Commission to vary your operating licence to include the additional sector, provided the facilities are operated by the same legal entity.

Where a different company is to operate the new gambling facilities, a new operating licence application will be required. Unless you are acquiring an existing gambling business, you will also need to apply for new premises licences for each location.

Converted casinos and premises licence variations

We regularly advise casino operators on converted casino issues, including compliance with sector‑specific restrictions and operational requirements.

Where an operator wishes to amend an existing premises licence — for example, to extend permitted operating hours — an application must be made to the Licensing Authority. Default conditions apply by sector and will determine permitted operating hours unless varied by application.

Alcohol and entertainment licensing

If you operate a casino or bingo hall, you will require a separate alcohol premises licence if you wish to:

• Serve alcohol
• Offer late‑night refreshment
• Provide regulated entertainment

Alcohol and entertainment are not permitted at any other types of gambling premises, and we advise operators on ensuring these activities are correctly licensed and segregated.

Gaming machines, clubs and gambling permits

We regularly advise businesses and organisations seeking to introduce gaming machines, low‑stake bingo or poker, including operators of:

• Hotels
• Bars
• Pubs
• Leisure venues.

While some machine entitlements are automatic (for example, two category C machines in pubs), others require notification to the Licensing Authority or an application for a gambling permit.

We also advise bona fide members’ clubs on gambling permits, ensuring club constitutions and practices meet statutory requirements. Commercial poker is not permitted in members’ clubs, and we have advised on enforcement cases where illegal poker clubs have been closed. 

Our betting and gaming team has decades of experience advising land‑based gambling operators. We combine technical regulatory expertise with a practical understanding of how gambling businesses operate in practice.

Our experience includes:

• Advising on and securing operating licences for international casino operators entering the UK market
• Securing the relocation and transfer of land‑based casino licences for new operators
• Advising motorway service area operators on premises compliance
• Successfully defending Gambling Commission operating licence reviews and linked criminal investigations
• Securing 24‑hour gambling and alcohol operation for estates of multiple casinos.

We also advise on complex issues such as approving external smoking areas through premises licence variations, allowing gambling to take place lawfully in annexed external areas.