UK: licensing committee approves draft gambling policy in Warrington

The draft gambling policy has been approved, according to a report by the Warrington Guardian published on Wednesday. The licensing committee approved the revised policy, which allows a consultation to take place from September 6 to October 15. 

Warrington Borough Council is required to review its gambling policy statement every three years. The current policy needs to be revised for the period 2022-2025. 

In a report to the committee, licensing manager Katherine Perry said the 2007 Gambling Act consolidates the regulation of casinos, bingo, gaming machines, lotteries, betting and remote gambling in one Act. 

“The Act established the Gambling Commission, which has responsibility for advising on issues on gambling and for issuing some licences as prescribed by the act. The council also has responsibilities, under the act, for the issuing of premise licences, permits, and temporary use notices and for the registration of small society lotteries”, she said.

“The Act also requires licensing authorities to prepare and publish a gambling policy, which should set out how it intends to exercise its functions”, she concluded. 

Documents to the committee highlighted the prospect of test purchasing activities to measure the compliance of licensed operators with aspects of the Act.

A statement said: “When undertaking test purchasing activities, this authority will undertake to liaise with the Gambling Commission and the operator to determine what other, if any, test purchasing schemes may already be in place. Irrespective of the actions of an operator on their overall estate, test purchasing may be deemed to be an appropriate course of action. It is up to operators to ensure they are compliant with the Act and the associated regulations”.

“The Gambling Commission encourages operators to manage the business risk associated with both underage access to premises and permitting a young person to gamble. The authority will consult with operators in the first instance where they have concerns about the underage access and age verification policies or whose premises they plan to test purchase”, it continued.

“The authority will consult with the Gambling Commission before planning such exercises in order to ensure that there is no conflict between any ongoing investigation or enforcement activity related to either the premises or the operator that we have initiated and the test purchase operation”, it concluded. 

The Gambling Act 2005 sets out how gambling in Great Britain is regulated.  It came fully into force in September 2007.

Aside from covering arcades, betting, bingo, casinos, gaming machines, society lotteries, and remote gambling (including online gambling); it also created and set the functions and objectives of the Gambling Commission as the principal regulator.

In 2014, it was amended to cover all online gambling companies who offer gambling to customers in Great Britain, wherever they are based.