GAMBLING ACT 2005

When implemented, the Gambling Act 2005 will replace most existing gambling law. It will extend to the whole of Great Britain, but not generally to Northern Ireland. It puts in place more comprehensive regulations and creates a new independent regulatory body, the Gambling Commission. The target date for implementation of the Gambling Act 2005 is autumn 2007.

The Act has three objectives:

• To prevent gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime.
• To ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way.
• To protect children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

The Gambling Commission will be independent of Government, and will issue operating licences to providers of gambling. Its remit will encompass most of the main forms of commercial gambling, including casinos, bingo, betting, gaming machines and larger charity lotteries; it will also include those providing gambling through the internet and mobile phones.

One of the major implications of the new Act is the expansion of the casino business. The Gambling Bill allows applications to be made to open casinos in all local authority areas. Three categories of casino premises will be allowed (small, large and regional) depending on the size of the customer area. Casinos will be allowed to install more gaming machines than under the present law, but their numbers will be capped. Only regional casinos will be allowed to install what have become known as ‘Las Vegas’ style machines, which have the potential to offer unlimited prizes.

Other than a new requirement for local authorities to license gambling premises and issue a range of permits under the act, there are few direct changes which affect pub AWP machines.