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Betting and gambling

On 31 October 2016, the London Borough of Bexley joined the Licensing Partnership to process and issue licensing applications for Bexley Council.

The Licensing Partnership is a partnership of local authorities comprising Maidstone Borough Council, Sevenoaks District Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

Central administration for the Licensing Partnership is based at Sevenoaks, with Licensing Officers located at each local authority. The team at Sevenoaks will input applications, process payments (except continuation fees), deal with administrative queries and issue licences.

The Act applies to the activities of gaming, betting, or taking part in a lottery.

  • gaming means playing a game of chance for a prize
  • betting means making or accepting a bet on the outcome of a race, competition, or any other event; the likelihood of anything occurring or not occurring; or whether anything is true or not
  • a lottery is where persons are required to pay in order to take part in an arrangement, during the course of which one or more prizes are allocated by a process, which relies wholly on chance

The Act provides for three categories of licences, which are:

  1. Operating Licences
  2. Personal Licences; and
  3. Premises Licences

The Act makes Bexley Council, the 'licensing authority' responsible for issuing 'premises licences' and the Gambling Commission for issuing 'operating and personal licences'. Licensing remote gambling falls to the Commission, via an Operators Licence.

The aim of the Act is to promote the three 'licensing objectives', which are:

  • 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
  • protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling

The main functions of a licensing authority under the Act are to:

  • licence premises for gambling activities
  • grant permits for gambling and gaming machines in clubs
  • regulate gaming and gaming machines in alcohol licensed premises
  • grant permits to family entertainment centres for the use of certain lower stake gaming machines
  • grant permits for prize gaming
  • consider notices given for the temporary use of premises for gaming
  • consider occasional use notices for betting at tracks
  • register small societies lotteries

Premises Licences

Licensing Authorities may issue premises licences that authorise the provision of gambling at the following types of venues:

  • casino premises
  • bingo premises
  • betting premises, including tracks
  • adult gaming centres; and
  • family entertainment centres

Except in the case of tracks, premises licences may only be issued to people with a relevant operating licence granted by the Commission.

Other forms of authorisation issued by the Council may include authorising the temporary use of premises, occasional use notices, five different sorts of permit for unlicensed family entertainment centres, prize gaming, gaming machines on alcohol-licensed premises, club gaming and club gaming machines.

Apply

Online

or contact:

The Licensing Partnership
Council Offices
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1GP

Or complete a licensing enquiry form.

Application evaluation process

Applications for the London Borough of Bexley must be submitted online or sent to the Licensing Partnership (details above).

Applications must be in a specific format and be accompanied by a required fee and supporting documents.

Regulation summary

A summary of the regulation relating to this licence.

Statement of Gambling Policy - 31 January 2022 to 30 January 2025

Licensing authorities must carry out their functions with a view to promoting the three licensing objectives and every three years must determine its gambling policy and publish a statement of that policy. The policy must be kept under review during the three years. The current version of the Council's Statement of Gambling Policy (PDF), was approved on 3 November 2021 and can also be viewed in the reception areas of main Council offices and in public libraries. Printed copies of the policy are also available from Licensing Officers based at Bexley.

Licensing portal

The Licensing Application Information Online system contains new features which will improve your access to licensing applications/licences, including better search options.

You can monitor the progress of an application and make comments while it is being considered and have the ability to receive email notifications relating to the applications/licences you are interested in.

Anyone may make a representation, or a comment, concerning a licensing application that is open to the public for consultation. Your representation must be made in writing and received by the closing date shown.

To identify the application/licence you can search using:

  • keywords
  • reference number (eg 19/00001)
  • postcode
  • single line of an address
  • ward

View licensing applications/licences and comment online.

Visit licensing portal

The Licensing Application Information Online service is normally available for 24 hours, seven days a week, except for periods set aside for system maintenance which will usually take place between 3am and 5am.