Licensing Objectives (Gambling)
The three objectives underpinning the Gambling Act 2005: (1) preventing gambling from being a source of crime; (2) ensuring gambling is fair and open; (3) protecting children and vulnerable persons from harm.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
The Gambling Act 2005 defines the licensing objectives, in a reference used throughout the rest of the Act, as the objectives of preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime; ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way; and protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
The Gambling Commission, the statutory regulator sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, licenses and regulates operators — including arcades, betting, bingo, casinos, gaming machine providers, gambling software providers, lottery operators, and remote (online and phone) gambling using British-based equipment — against these three objectives. Its Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, which operators must comply with as a condition of holding a licence, are built around delivering the objectives in practice.
The licensing objectives remain the touchstone against which the Commission assesses both individual licensing decisions and broader regulatory reform. The Commission has, for example, invited industry proposals for reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens specifically on the basis that any changes must maintain strong consumer protections and continue to uphold the licensing objectives of the Gambling Act 2005.
Example
In deciding whether to grant or revoke an operating licence, the Gambling Commission must consider whether the operator's conduct furthers or undermines the three licensing objectives, such as by failing to prevent underage gambling.
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.