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We are responsible for:

• issuing premises licences for the provision of gambling activities
• issuing permits for unlicensed family entertainment centres, club gaming, club machines, licensed premises gaming machines, and prize gaming
• issuing provisional statements
• receiving and endorsing temporary use notices
• receiving occasional use notices
• registering small lotteries

The aim is to promote the three Licensing Objectives:

1. preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime
2. ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way
3. protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling

You need a licence for the following types of gambling premises:

• Casino premises - currently no permission to issue casino licences in borough 
• Bingo premises
• Betting premises, including shops, tracks and premises used by betting intermediaries
• Adult gaming centre (AGC) premises (for category B3, B4, C and D machines)
• Family entertainment centre (FEC) premises (for category C and D machines) – the licensing authority may issue a FEC gaming machine permit, which authorises the use of category D machines only

An application for a provisional statement should be made if the premises is not yet built, need major alterations or the applicant does not yet have the right to occupy.  A provisional statement is not the same as a premises licence but will offer a degree of certainty to the applicant when they come to apply for a premises licence. 

A premises licence application should be made if the applicant has the right to occupy the premises and has a valid operating licence from the Gambling Commission.

Visit the Gambling commission’s website to apply for a gambling premises licence.

To apply for a premises licence or provisional statement you must complete the application and submit it to us, along with the required fee.

See our gambling fees and charges page for a full list.

The holder of a premises licence can apply to vary a licence by:

• adding, amending or removing an authorised activity
• amending another detail of the licence
• excluding a default condition
• adding, amending or removing a discretionary condition 

To vary the licence an application must be submitted, along with a plan of the premises, if applicable and the fee.

When the control of an existing licensed gambling premises is to change to a different operator, it is necessary to apply to the Council as the Licensing Authority to transfer the licence.

A responsible authority or interested party may apply to the council as Licensing Authority for a review by the authority of a premises licence.

Any application to have a premises licence reviewed must clearly show how the operation of the individual premises has not promoted, or has worked against, one or more of the three licensing objectives.

Any person or body making the initial application for the review of a premises licence must serve notice of the application on the council as Licensing Authority, the holder of the premises licence and each of the Responsible Authorities.

This policy provides a framework of how we make decisions under the Gambling Act 2005. You are advised to read this policy.