Casino Premises Changes to Legislation
In bingo premises, 1.6% of Category B gaming machine sessions result in losses of £200 or more, compared to 0.7% of combined Category C, Category D and mixed sessions. Responses from both the arcade and bingo sector show that Category B machines generate higher GGY on average than Category C and D machines, though responses indicated that the levels of GGY were higher in the arcade sector. This was consistent across bingo club operators, arcade operators and gaming machine manufacturers. This will ensure that Category C and D machines made available by operators have genuine customer appeal and/or are genuinely available for use, as opposed to being used as a means to increase the number of Category B cabinets a venue can site.
409.This section describes, in subsection (1), the premises licences that may be issued by a licensing authority. 408.Part 10 contains provisions concerning gaming machines, and the categorisation of machines by the Secretary of State. 407.Part 18 contains provisions requiring all licensing authorities to set three-year licensing policies in respect of all of their functions under the Act, including premises licences. Conditions on premises licences can be set by the licensing authority, and by the Secretary of State, or Scottish Ministers.
As they are an extension of card payment, the direct use of contactless mobile systems such as Google Pay or Apple Pay on gaming machines is also prohibited. The Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) Regulations 2007 prohibit the use of debit cards for direct payments to gaming machines, and prohibit any use of credit cards. What impact would Options 1, 2 and 3 have on the overall number of Category B, C and D gaming machines? We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely uptake of additional Category B machines under each option, nor on how the average GGY per machine will change as a result. We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely reduction of Category C and D machines under each option.
These regulations could cover matters such as whether appropriate numbers of staff are trained to operate the tables, and the extent to which such staff (and therefore tables) are available for use. In doing so, they may impose a condition on a licence, or exclude default conditions (in which case they may impose alternative conditions relating to the same matter). 444.The Secretary of State and Scottish Ministers have further powers to impose default conditions by regulations, for England and Wales, and Scotland respectively. 441.Subsections 7 and 8 provide the Secretary of State with the power to order a particular licensing authority, or class of licensing authority to consider whether to issue a resolution under this section. Such a resolution must be published as part of the authority’s licensing policy statement made under Part 18, and lasts for 3 years from the date it takes effect. The licensing authority may take into account any principle or matter in making its decision, and may pass a resolution giving effect to their decision at any time.
Should the operating and premises licence fees that apply to 2005 Act casinos also apply to 1968 Act casinos that increase their gaming machine entitlements? Operating and premises licence fees for 1968 Act casinos that increase their gaming machine entitlement should match the operating and premises licence fees charged for 2005 Act casinos. Do you agree with the proposal that casino operators will be required to notify licensing authorities and the Gambling Commission if they decide to take-up their entitlement to additional gaming machines under the new regime?
This decision is to be taken by the licensing authority as a whole, and may not be delegated to the licensing committee under sections 154 and 155. Where the licensing authority grants an application, a person who made representations may appeal. The period of time within which representations must be made will be prescribed in regulations. 430.Responsible authorities and interested parties may make representations in writing to a licensing authority about a particular application.
In making this recommendation we recognise the potential advantages that 1968 Act casinos may have over Small 2005 Act casinos that elect to move to the new regime, in terms of Schedule 9 payments and the portability of licences. Currently, 1968 Act casinos are not required to have a table gaming area so the premises plan will need to be updated accordingly. It will not be possible for a licensee to rely on an ancillary remote betting licence, even where the SSBT offer is alongside a non-remote offer as the ancillary licence is bound to a betting premises licence. This measure will also bring greater consistency to the different licensing regimes and greater parity between online and land-based casinos. These products do not count as gaming machines, but neither do they provide any of the benefits of a multiplayer table in contributing to a balanced mix or affording opportunities for social interaction.
For this, you can search the licence number on the business register. Now is the time to confirm that the licence is active and valid. You can then verify the details directly on the official licence register. When playing from the UK, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) licence is the one that matters. This is the most important detail needed to confirm the licence is valid.
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This will ensure that only distinct and sizeable table gaming areas can count towards the total, giving customers a genuine mix of products that are easily accessible in a casino. If a casino had 700sqm of gambling space, it would need to have at least 250sqm of non-gambling area. For example, if a casino had 300sqm of gambling space, its non-gambling area would need to be at least 150sqm. Option (3) would not impact any 1968 Act casinos and would give these casinos greater flexibility in the layout of their venues.
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Option 1: Introduce the 50/50 rule while maintaining the current requirements for ‘available for use’
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They must also participate in GAMSTOP self-exclusion and contribute to research, education and treatment of gambling harm. Search for the operator by name or licence number and confirm the licence status shows as “Active”. Established under the Gambling Act 2005, it ensures gambling is conducted fairly, openly, and free from crime.
By contrast, industry responses argued that Option 2 would be highly restrictive for many operators and would overall provide less commercial flexibility than is currently available under the 80/20 ratio. The only responses which challenged the risk of gambling-related harm under Option 3 came from respondents within the arcade and bingo sector. Therefore it is likely that increases in Category B machines will lead to slight increases in sessions with greater losses. By contrast, under Option 2, the same operator reported that it would be required to increase the number of Category C machines, resulting in increased costs.
Remote linked licences gaming machine technical Remote gaming machine technical – software operating licence Non-remote gaming machine technical – supplier licence Non-remote gaming machine technical – full licence
Gambling Commission data, from April to September 2019, indicates that across all land-based sectors, 1.8% of Category B sessions result in a loss of £200 or more. For instance, evidence provided by Bacta shows that the average stake placed on a Category B3 game is between £1.20 – £1.30, compared to 40p – 60p for a Category C machine. For example, numbers provided by the Bingo Association show that the number of bingo premises that offer mainstage bingo declined from 335 at the end of 2018 to 272 in March 2023.
What do you think are the potential impacts of raising licence fees on the local area? (Mandatory response)10% / 20% / 30% / A different amount / I do not think fees should be increased / I don’t know Are there any functions that local authorities/ licensing boards do not exercise at present, but could if fees were increased (e.g. a more proactive enforcement policy)? (Optional response)Yes / No / I don’t know If you are a local authority/ licensing board, do you currently charge the maximum fees as set out in the Gambling Act 2005? However, given the relatively low level of annual fees per premises at present, we consider this to be unlikely.
(a)the non-gambling area may consist of one or more areas within the premises, In this Part, where premises are required to contain a non-gambling area— In this Part, in determining the floor area of the gambling area of premises, all areas in which facilities for gambling are provided on the premises must be taken into account.
- The white paper proposed to reform the 80/20 rule in response to evidence that the current rule does not allow operators to adequately meet consumer demand, while still providing a balanced product offer to customers.
- As gaming machine allowances and machine to table ratios for 1968 Act casinos and Small 2005 Act casinos converge, more consistent size requirements should apply across the two types of licence to ensure a degree of fairness and consistency.
- We can also analyse average loss and session length data to consider the possible risks of gambling harm for those customers who increase their gambling participation as a result of these measures.
- This is viewed as a more proportionate table gaming area compared to other floor space requirements, and will ensure parity with 1968 Act casinos.
- All forms of online gambling are licensed by the Gambling Commission and therefore can be legally provided in the country under a licence from the commission.
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No licence details in the footer; no entry on the UKGC public register; no GAMSTOP or safer-gambling tools; pressure to deposit quickly; vague or missing terms; and no clear company name or complaints process. For UK players, a UKGC licence is the line between a protected experience and a gamble on the casino itself. You may see offshore casinos advertised as “non-GamStop” or promising bigger bonuses with fewer checks. For more on how these rules shape bonuses and play, see our casino bonuses guide and our responsible gambling page.
Eighty-two per cent of respondents agreed that it should be a criminal offence for a person to invite, cause or permit children or young persons to play on ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style machines. While some of the other proposals put forward to ensure no under-18s play these types of machines were sensible, we do not think it is proportionate to mandate any of these measures due to the lower risk nature of this product. While the majority of responses stated that this measure would be beneficial, a number of licensing authorities caveated their responses by stating that voluntary commitments are limited due to the lack of consequences conditioned upon poor performance.
This amendment will mean that 1968 Act casinos that meet the same size requirements of Small 2005 Act casinos (subject to our final position on maximum size of gambling space) will be entitled to 80 gaming machines. In order for a 1968 Act casino to be entitled to 80 gaming machines, we propose that it must have a gambling area of at least 500sqm, the same minimum requirement for Small 2005 Act casinos. While we anticipate that many casinos of a suitable size will take up the option to increase their gaming machine allowances under these proposals, we are aware that some casinos will not want to site more than casinos not on gamstop 20 gaming machines. Under the increased gaming machine allowances that we propose, if a venue held multiple premises licences, it could theoretically gain access to 80 gaming machines per licence. In order to be entitled to an allowance of 80 gaming machines, 1968 Act casinos will need to comply with the same minimum requirements as a Small 2005 Act casino on gambling, table gaming and non-gambling area. A further 25 casinos have multiple licences within one premises, allowing them to supply 40 or 60 machines.
