Land-Based Gambling Licence Solicitors

With over 30 years’ experience in successfully helping businesses secure and keep their licences, we have the expertise to make sure your applications stand the best chance of being approved by the Gambling Commission and the relevant Licensing Authorities.  

If you wish to alter your gambling premises, we can also assist in the submission of the requisite variation application to the Licensing Authority.

Once your licence is secured, it’s just as vital to keep your business compliant with LCCP and any changes to legislation and/or regulations. Our specialist knowledge of the gambling sector means we can help you to stay up to date with compliance and learning from enforcement action against other operators, helping you to avoid the initiation of a review of your Operating Licence.

Which licences to I need to offer land-based gambling?

If you’re not already a land-based operator and want to offer gambling facilities in premises in Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland), you’ll need to apply for a non-remote operating licence. These are issued by the Gambling Commission and are broken down into different sectors:  

• 1968 Act Casino
• 2005 Act Casino
• Bingo
• Betting Shops
• Adult Gaming Centres
• Licensed Family Entertainment Centres.

Once an operating licence application is submitted, you can apply for a gambling premises licence. The Licensing Authority can’t determine a premises licence application until an operating licence is granted.  

The person(s) responsible for the following will also need a Personal Management Licence:

• Overall strategy and delivery of gambling
• Head of finance  
• Head of marketing  
• Head of regulatory compliance
• The person responsible for gambling related IT and security.

If you manage a casino or bingo club you must hold or obtain a Personal Management Licence before you can take up your position. If a company runs more than five venues, you’ll also need an operations manager who must also hold a Personal Management Licence.  

If I’m an existing operator wanting to offer other land-based sectors, what do I need to do?

If you’re an existing non-remote operator who wants to expand into other land-based sectors, you’ll need to apply to the Gambling Commission for your Operating Licence to be varied to include the additional sector, provided it will be operated by the same company. If a different company is to operate the new facilities, then a fresh application for a new Operating Licence is required.

Unless you are acquiring an existing business you will need to apply for new premises licence.

If you want to amend your existing premises licence, for example to extend such as your operating hours, you’ll need to apply to the Licensing Authority to vary your licence. There are default conditions that fix the default permitted operating hours by sector and these are imposed on a new premises licence in the absence of an application to vary and extend the hours of operation.

If you run a casino or bingo hall, you’ll need an alcohol premises licence if you want to:

• Serve alcohol
• Offer late-night refreshments
• Host regulated entertainment.

Alcohol and entertainment are not permitted in any other types of gambling premises

We regularly act for clients who are looking to introduce gaming machines and low-stake bingo and poker and need help to ensure they comply with the statutory requirements and codes of practice. These clients are operators of a range of venues, including:

• Hotels
• Bars
• Pubs
• Members clubs

Some entitlements are automatic (including two category C gaming machines in pubs) but others require a notification to the Licensing Authority or may require an application for a permit.  

There are various gambling permits available for bona fide members clubs, which we can advise you on and ensure that the club’s constitution meet the requirements in the legislation. For example commercial poker is not permitted in members clubs and there have been a string of enforcement cases where illegal poker clubs have been closed down.

The complexities of land-based gambling licences can be hard to navigate. We make sure we stay up to date with legislation changes, so we can help you to ensure you’re meeting compliance and enforcement laws.  

Sometimes things can go wrong, and we’ll be there to help you if they do. We’ve successfully represented clients in licensing reviews by the Gambling Commission and in cases where the Commission have instigated a criminal investigation.