Licensing Gaming And Gambling Solicitors

If you are running a gaming or betting establishment, you need to understand the licensing laws pertaining to the industry. To find a solicitor who understands the sector inside out, start browsing or searching through our website today. Read more

Gambling law – the essentials

The term ‘gambling’ covers betting, gaming and lotteries.

The current legislation is contained primarily in the Gambling Act 2005 (GA 2005). This major piece of reforming legislation swept away a complex and historical system that had evolved organically for more than 200 years, reflecting changing attitudes to gambling. The GA 2005 governs all forms of gambling except the National Lottery and forms of betting which are controlled as financial products.

Betting, gaming and lotteries are defined in the GA 2005. The definitions are complex but, as a summary:

• betting is generally described as the hazarding of value on a future uncertain event or a past event the result of which is not generally known. GA 2005 distinguishes fixed-odds betting, so called 'fantasy leagues' ('Betting Competitions'), pool betting (any betting where the stakes are pooled and the winnings are a proportion of the pool or the prize is non-cash and spread betting which is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
• a lottery is a division of prizes by a chance means where participants pay for the chance to win the prize; and
• gaming is the playing of a game of chance or combined chance and skill for winnings in money or money’s worth. This includes casino games against the house, 'ring games' such as poker and gaming machines (which have their own regulation)

Part 5 of GA 2005 deals with operating licences, (the essential permission needed to perform commercial gambling) including the way that licences are applied for and granted as well as the imposition of licence conditions.

Where difficulties arise or a breach of licence condition is suspected, the Commission has the power to review a licence and impose a series of sanctions from written warnings for minor infractions to financial penalties and revocation of the licence in serious cases. Although operating within a breach of a licence condition is technically a criminal offence (GA 2005, s 33) the Gambling Commission’s approach is generally to reserve criminal prosecution in relation to those who seek to operate gambling without a licence, whilst using regulatory mechanisms such as review for those operating with a licence.

Find the right gaming licence solicitor on Solicitors Guru

At Solicitors Guru we have chosen the best gambling law solicitors in the UK, and narrowed them down to your area. To find the right one for you, start browsing or searching our website today.