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​Gambling Act 2005

Date updated: 7/02/2025

Statement of Licensing Principles 2025

The local area profile aims to identify specific groups within the City of London that are most vulnerable to gambling. Our 2024 consultation showed that this profile remains unchanged since 2022, with the biggest area of concern being the controlling of online gambling.

Online gambling activities do not fall under the remit of the City, and are regulated at a national level by the Gambling Commission.

Guidelines

Statement of principles 2025 PDF (336KB)
Statement of licensing principles 2025
Date submitted: 25/02/20
Gambling Local Area Profile (520 KB)
Gambling Local Area Profile
Date submitted: 25/02/20
Guidance on Undertaking Local Gambling Risk Assessments (184KB)
Guidance on Undertaking Local Gambling Risk Assessments
Date submitted: 25/02/20

Gambling Licensing

The Gambling Act 2005 created a single regulator for all commercial betting, gaming and lottery operators in Great Britain (except for spread betting and the National Lottery) in the form of the Gambling Commission, which is responsible for issuing operating and personal licences.

The Act also transferred powers from the Court to local authorities, known as 'licensing authorities', making them responsible for issuing premises licences for gambling in their geographical area

Licensable activities

Two main activities are covered by the Act:

  • Providing facilities for gambling
  • Using premises for gambling

Gambling is defined as:

  • Gaming - playing a game of chance for a prize
  • Betting - making or accepting a bet on the outcome of a race, competition or other event or process
  • Lottery - purchasing a chance to win a prize

The Act empowers the licensing authority to:

  • licence premises for gambling activities
  • consider notices given for the temporary use of premises for gambling
  • grant permits for gaming and gaming machines in clubs and miners' welfare institutes
  • regulate gaming and gaming machines in alcohol-licensed premises
  • grant permits to family entertainment centres (FECs) for the use of certain lower stake gaming machines
  • grant permits for prize gaming
  • consider occasional use notices for betting at tracks
  • register small society lotteries

Licensing objectives

The Act sets out three licensing objectives that are fundamental to the legislation. These are:

  • Preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime.
  • Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way.
  • Protecting children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
  • The City of London licensing authority must aim to permit the use of premises for gambling in so far as the authority think fit reasonably consistent with the licensing objectives.

More information

For more information email the Licensing team or call 020 7332 3406.

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