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Gambling Act 2005
The Gambling Act 2005 is currently being phased in and will change the way gambling is licensed in Great Britain. We will be the licensing authority for Wirral and will be working with the new national gambling regulator, the Gambling Commission.
A summary of the Act
- Gambling operators will require an operating licence and any relevant personal licences from the Gambling Commission.
- They can then get a premises licence from their relevant licensing authority. For premises based in Wirral this will be Wirral Council.
- Decisions by both bodies will be made in accordance with the three licensing objectives, which are;
(i) Keeping gambling crime free
(ii) Making sure that gambling is fair and open
(iii) Protecting children and vulnerable adults
The Gambling Commission
The Gambling Act 2005 (the Act) means that the Gambling Commission will take over from the Gaming Board for Great Britain. It will also have wider functions. The Commission will issue personal and operating licences as well as codes of practice and it will make sure these are met.
Illegal gambling will be investigated and organisers prosecuted. The Gambling Commission will also collect information from us about gambling so that it can regulate gambling effectively and advise the government about gambling in the United Kingdom.
Local licensing authorities
We will issue premises licenses for: casinos, betting offices and race tracks, bingo clubs, adult gaming centres and family entertainment centres.
We will also issue permits for: gaming machines in members' clubs and licensed premises, gaming in members' clubs, prize gaming and unlicensed family entertainment centres. We will also approve temporary use notices and issue provisional statements (provisional statements are a kind of licence issued before a building is built or altered for the purpose of gambling).
Statement of Principles
The Act requires each licensing authority to produce a ‘Statement of Principles’. Please see the page links on this page which will take you to a page on our ‘Statement of Principles’.