Licensing

Gambling - Betting Premises

Betting means the making or acceptance of a bet on:

(a) the outcome of a race, competition or other event or process notwithstanding that it has already occurred and one party to the transaction knows the outcome.
(b) the likelihood of anything occurring or not occurring, notwithstanding that it has already occurred or failed to occur and one party to the transaction knows the outcome.
(c) whether anything is or is not true.

The Gambling Commission is responsible for regulating and issuing operators licences to bookmakers, betting agencies, totaliser operators and pool operators.

The Financial Services Authority regulates spread betting.

Off track betting premises (more commonly called Licensed Betting Offices) must have an Operators Licence issued by the Gambling Commission and a Premises Licence issued by the Licensing Authority.

Children and young persons may not enter premises with a Betting Premises Licence.

Casinos will be able to provide facilities for betting but will be required to obtain a separate Betting Operating Licence. They will not need a separate Premises Licence.

The holder of a Betting Premises Licence may make up to 4 gaming machines of Category B2, B3, B4, C or D available for use.

Where a machine is made available to take bets on virtual races it is deemed to be a gaming machine and must comply with the conditions and restrictions on the appropriate category of gaming machines

Betting machines, where a machine accepts bets on live future events, are not gaming machines and, as such, do not count towards the 4 gaming machines that may be made available. Neither do they have to comply with limits on stakes or prizes.

Licensing Authorities have powers to restrict the number of betting machines, their nature and circumstances in which they are made available by attaching a condition to the Premises Licence.

In attracting such a condition the Authority will take into account:

(a) the size of the premises;
(b) number of counter positions available for person to person transactions;
(c) the ability of staff to monitor the machines use by children or young persons.

Gambling Act Menu

Contact the Licensing Section

Telephone: 01304 872295
E-mail: licensing@dover.gov.uk

Post:
Licensing Section
Dover District Council
White Cliffs Business Park
Dover
Kent CT16 3PJ