Gambling Policy
6. Betting premises
The Act contains a single class of licence for betting premises although within this, there are different types of premises which require licensing.
The Act also permits betting intermediaries to operate from premises. Section13 of the Act defines a betting intermediary as a person who provides a service designed to facilitate the making or acceptance of bets between others. Although betting intermediaries usually offer their services via remote communication, such as the internet, a betting intermediary can apply for a betting premises licence to offer intermediary services upon the premises, such as a premises based trading room.
Licensing authorities are responsible for issuing and monitoring premises licences for all betting premises. The issuing of premises licences is discussed in Part 7 of the Gambling Commission Guidance.
Gaming machines
Section172(8) provides that the holder of a betting premises licence may make available for use up to four gaming machines of category B, C or D. Regulations state that category B machines at betting premises are restricted to sub-category B2, B3 and B4 machines.
Self service betting terminals (SSBTs)
Section 235(2)(c) provides that a machine is not a gaming machine if it is designed or adapted for use to bet on future real events. Some betting premises may make available machines that accept bets on live events, such as horse racing, as a substitute for placing a bet over the counter. These SSBTs are not gaming machines and therefore neither count towards the maximum permitted number of gaming machines, nor have to comply with any stake or prize limits. SSBTs merely automate the process that can be conducted in person and the Act exempts them from regulation as a gaming machine.
However, where a machine is made available to take bets on virtual races (that is, results and / or images generated by computer to resemble races or other events) that machine is a gaming machine and counts towards the maximum permitted number of gaming machines, and must meet the relevant category limitations for the premises.
The Licensing authority is aware of the Commission's view that the use of SSBTs is a form of remote communication and that a remote licence will be required if SSBTs are used to facilitate the making or accepting of bets by others.
Section 181 contains an express power for licensing authorities to restrict the number of SSBTs, their nature and the circumstances in which they are made available by attaching a licence condition to a betting premises licence or to a casino premises licence (where betting is permitted in the casino).
