If you want to offer gambling at a physical location in Hartlepool, you must apply to us for a Gambling Premises Licence. This is in addition to any operating licence you may need from the Gambling Commission.
Types of premises that need a licence
You need a premises licence for:
- casinos
- bingo halls
- betting shops (including tracks and betting intermediaries)
- amusement arcades (with category C and D machines)
A premise can only be licensed for one type of gambling activity (except for tracks).
Apply for a Gambling Premises Licence
Casino premises
Casinos offer a variety of approved casino games like roulette, blackjack, poker, and gaming machines.
The majority of casinos in Great Britain were established under the previous legislation. There were over 140 casinos, when the Gambling Act 2005 came into operation on 1 September 2007.
The new act allows for an additional 16 casinos: eight large and eight small. There were over 15 million visits to casinos in Great Britain in 2006/07. The 'drop' (money exchanged for gaming chips) amounted to £4,314 million in the same year.
To operate a casino, you must:
- hold an operating licence from the Gambling Commission
- apply for a premises licence from us
- ensure the majority of senior management and staff directly involved in the outcome of the gambling have personal licences
Bingo premises
There are two types of bingo:
- cash bingo - prizes are made up from the stakes paid
- prize bingo - prizes are not linked to the stakes
Cash bingo is the main type of bingo played in commercial bingo halls. These venues may also offer prize bingo, usually during breaks between games.
Prize bingo is also commonly found in arcades, especially at seaside resorts, and at travelling funfairs.
Subject to limits on entry fees and prizes, prize bingo can also be offered at:
- adult gaming centres
- licensed and unlicensed family entertainment centres
- travelling fairs
- any premises with a prize gaming permit
In prize bingo, the prize must not depend on how many people are playing or how much money is paid to enter the game.
Betting premises
The Gambling Act 2005 defines betting as 'making or accepting a bet on the outcome of a race, competition or other event or process; the likelihood of anything occurring or not occurring; or whether anything is or is not true'.
General betting operators can offer betting services:
- at licensed betting shops (off-course)
- at race tracks (on-course)
- remotely (by phone or online)
Pool betting includes racecourse, football and other sport pool operators and 'fantasy football' type competitions . It can take place:
- in person (e.g. the Tote at racecourses or betting shops)
- online (e.g. football pool websites)
Betting intermediaries help people place bets with each other. These can be:
- remote (e.g. online betting exchanges)
- non-remote (e.g. a tic-tac at a racecourse)
Spread betting is not covered by the Gambling Act 2005. It is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Each type of betting requires a separate licence. Some operators may need more than one. All licence holders must follow the rules set out in the Gambling Act 2005 and the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP).
Amusement arcades
There are three types of amusement arcades:
Adult gaming centres (AGCs)
- they can offer up to 4 category B3/4 machines and unlimited category C and D machines
- you must be 18+ to enter
- they require an operating licence, personal licences, and a premises licence
Licensed family entertainment centres (FECs)
- these offer an unlimited number of category C and D gaming machines, with the category C machines located in an 'adult only' area. This requires an operating licence from the Gambling Commission and a gambling premises licence from the licensing authority.
- with an unlimited number of category D gaming machines, they require a Family Entertainment Centre Permit from the licensing asuthority.
Unlicensed family entertainment centres
- they can offer category D machines only
Visit the Gambling Commission for machine category definitions