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The Gambling Act 2005 is the principal statute regulating gambling in England & Wales and Scotland. It established the Gambling Commission as the unified regulator and created a comprehensive licensing framework for casinos, betting, bingo, gaming machines, lotteries, and remote (online) gambling. The Act is structured around three licensing objectives: preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, ensuring gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and protecting children and vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
Pwyntiau allweddol
- Establishes the Gambling Commission as the regulator with powers to grant, review, suspend, and revoke licences (Part 2)
- Three licensing objectives: preventing crime/disorder, ensuring fairness, and protecting children and vulnerable persons (s.1)
- Operating licences required for all gambling operators; personal licences for key personnel (Parts 5-6)
- Premises licences required for physical gambling venues, granted by local licensing authorities (Part 8)
- Regulates remote gambling — online operators targeting British consumers must hold a licence (as amended by Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014)
- Defines and regulates gaming machines by category (A-D) with different stake and prize limits (Part 10)
- Lotteries regulated under Part 11 — societies may run lotteries subject to registration and limits on proceeds
- Criminal offences for providing facilities for gambling without a licence (s.33), cheating at gambling (s.42), and using premises for unlicensed gambling
Rhannau ac adrannau
Hanes diwygiadau
2014 — Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014
Required all remote gambling operators serving British consumers to hold a Gambling Commission licence, regardless of location.