Department for Culture Media and Sport
5. local authorities
Local Authorities have various responsibilities under the Gambling Act 2005. This page provides the latest information for local authorities in implementing the new Act. More details will be added as they are confirmed by Parliament.
Please note: Although all licensing authorities are local authorities, not all local authorities are licensing authorities.
News | Premises Licence Fees Review | Local Authorities' responsibilities | Premises Licence Fees | Training materials
News
Premises Licence Fees Review
DCMS has published an review of local authority premises licence fees. [24 December 2007]
As part of the Government's commitment to keep the premises licence regime under review, the Government published on 26th July a collated table of information on the fee levels that licensing authorities have set for their 2007-2008 premises licence fees. The Government has now published a more complete table of data received from licensing authorities.
Premises Licence Fees - DCMS has published and circulated to licensing authorities a guidance document on the setting of fees for premises licences [9 May 2007]
21 May – New date for premises licence applications
Following discussions with local authority and industry colleagues, Ministers have decided to make some changes to the implementation timetable for the Gambling Act 2005.
We remain committed to full implementation of the Act by 1 September 2007. However, the date for licensing authorities to receive advance applications for Gambling Act 05 premises licences has been put back by three weeks from 30 April to 21 May. This is to preserve the commitment that local authorities have three months between the laying of regulations and receiving applications. All other dates remain the same.
Further information:
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Local Authority responsibilities
Under the Gambling Act 2005 licensing authorities – and licensing boards in Scotland - will be responsible for issuing various permissions, permits and notices relating to the use of premises for gambling activities within their local areas.
- Premises licences for:
- Casinos
- Betting offices and race tracks
- Bingo clubs
- Adult gaming centres
- Family entertainment centre
- Permits for:
- Gaming machines in alcohol-licensed premises, such as pubs
- Gaming machines for members clubs
- Gaming in members clubs
- Unlicensed family entertainment centres
(Category D machines only - i.e. those that have the lowest level of stakes and prizes)
- Prize gaming
More about permits
- Occasional Use Notices
- Temporary Use Notices
- Provisional Statements
Licensing authorities will undertake inspections and enforce the conditions on these issued licences, permits and notices. They will also register small scale society lotteries.
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Premises Licence Fees
Local authorities will set fees for premises licences from within fee bands prescribed by DCMS. Each premises type will have separate fee bands. After consulting widely and obtaining and considering information from licensing authorities and the gambling industry, we prescribed maximum fees for each type of premises and each type of application for which a fee is payable.
There will be an initial fee to cover the cost of application and an annual “maintenance” fee. The fee selected must be limited to cost recovery.
We believe this approach will ensure fairness and value for money, while also allowing licensing authorities to fully recover the costs associated with premises licensing.
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Training
We have produced training materials for licensing officers and councillors to help them understand their roles and responsibilities under the Gambling Act 2005. The materials are in two parts. The first part covers premises licences, the second is concerned with permits. Both contain interactive elements and case studies to help enliven a potentially difficult subject. We are currently updating the first part to reflect recent changes.
The training materials were developed in conjunction with members of the Premises Licence Transition and Training Group, a group of key stakeholders including representatives from licensing authorities and the gambling industry. In addition, both sets of training materials have been piloted with licensing authority officers.
We hope the provision of these materials will increase levels of confidence in licensing officers and councillors and enhance the quality and consistency of decision making, benefiting both licensing authorities and the gambling industry.
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