Gambling premises licences

Businesses or individuals who provide gambling facilities must have a premises licence granted under the Gambling Act 2003.

Who needs a licence

Businesses or individuals who need a licence to provide gambling facilities include:

  • casinos
  • bingo halls
  • bookmakers
  • amusement arcades
  • racecourses
  • sporting arenas (where betting takes place)

Types of licences and fees

Depending on what type of business you wish to operate, there are 5 different types of premises licence available.

You should choose the type that most closely represents the primary purpose of your business.

Casinos

Applications for new casino licences are not possible. The licensing regime for casinos is restricted to those converted from the Gambling Act 1968 (known as converted casinos), or the Large Casino which was issued in 2015. 

The premises has:                      

  • a maximum of 20 B1-4 or an unlimited number of C and D machines
  • no under 18s permitted
Casino fees
Annual Fee£2,205
Application to Vary£1,470
Application to Transfer£992
 

Bingo

The premises has:                      

  • the provision of facilities for the playing of bingo
  • a maximum of 20% of the total number of gaming machines available for use that are category B3 or B4
  • unlimited category C or D gaming machines
  • children are permitted and are able to play the category D machines, but not permitted to enter the area where category C or higher machines are located
Fees
New Application£2,573
Annual Fee£735
Application to Vary£1,286
Application to Transfer£882
Application for Re-instatement£882
Application for Provisional Statement£2,573
 

Adult gaming centre

The premises has:                      

  • a maximum of 20% of the total number of gaming machines available for use that are category B3 or B4
  • unlimited category C or D gaming machines
  • no children are permitted in this premises type
Adult Gaming Centre Premises licence fees
Fees
New Application£1,470
Annual Fee£735
Application to Vary£735
Application to Transfer£882
Application for Re-instatement£882
Application for Provisional Statement£1,470
 

Family entertainment centre

The premises has:                      

  • an unlimited category C or D gaming machines
  • children are permitted in the premises who can play the category D machines, but are not permitted to enter the area where the category C machines are located
Family Entertainment Centre Premises licence fees
Fees
New Application£1,470
Annual Fee£551
Application to Vary£735
Application to Transfer£698
Application for Re-instatement£698
Application for Provisional Statement£1,470
 

Betting (including track betting)

The premises has:                      

  • the provision of facilities for betting whether by making or accepting bets, by acting as a betting intermediary or by providing other facilities for the making or accepting of bets
  • a maximum of 4 category B3 or B4 gaming machines
  • children are permitted to enter all areas of the premises on designated race days, but are not to be able to enter the area where any category C or B machines are located on non-race days
  • children are not permitted to enter non-track betting premises (for example, bookmakers or betting shops)
Betting Premises (Track) Premises licence fees
Fees
New Application£1,838
Annual Fee£735
Application to Vary£919
Application to Transfer£698
 

How to apply

  1. Get a gambling operator licence

    To apply for a premises licence, first you need a gambling operators licence. You can apply for one on the Gambling Commission website.

    Your operating licence will need to show that you are authorised with the appropriate activities that are relevant to the premises that you are acquiring.      

  2. Apply for a premises licence

    To apply for a new gambling premises licence please email entertainment.licensing@leeds.gov.uk for a copy of the application form.      

    You will also need to include plans of the premises.      

    Guidance on submitting plans

    Plans must be drawn to a suitable scale showing:      

    • the extent of the boundary or perimeter of the premises
    • where the premises include, or consist of, one or more buildings, the location of any external or internal walls of each such building
    • where the premises form part of a building, the location of any external or internal walls of the building which are included in the premises
    • where the premises are a vessel or a part of a vessel, the location of any part of the sides of the vessel, and of any internal walls of the vessel, which are included in the premises
    • the location of each point of entry to and exit from the premises, including in each case a description of the place from which entry is made or to which the exit leads

    If you're applying for a licence and would like a copy of the Mandatory, Default and Model Conditions document please contact us. 

    Returning the completed application form

    You will need to post the completed application form and documents to: 

    Entertainment Licensing, Leeds City Council, Civic Hall, Leeds, LS1 1UR

    Fees

    You can pay your application fee by cheque which you will need to include with your application form or by phone. To pay by phone please call 0113 378 5029.      

  3. Advertise your application

    After you have submitted your application you must advertise your application by displaying a notice on the premises for 28 days. The notice period runs from the day on which the application is made to the council. The notice must be made using the Government prescribed form GNOTICE1, which is available by emailing entertainment.licensing@leeds.gov.uk.

    An enforcement officer will visit your site to inspect the notice. If it is found that the notice or its positioning does not meet the requirements of the Act then we may ask you to redisplay the notice and we may reset your 28 day notice period, or even return your application. 

    As well as placing a notice at the premises you must also advertise the application in a local newspaper which covers the area where the premises is located. The notice should appear on at least one occasion within 10 working days starting on the day after the day on which you made your application to the council. 

    It must contain the same information as the notice placed on your premises but does not need to use the same dimension or font size. 

  4. Give notice of your application

    After you have submitted your application, you are required to notify each of the responsible authorities about your application including the Gambling Commission using the GNOTICE2A for an individual applicant or GNOTICE2B for an organisation of multiple persons. You can email entertainment.licensing@leeds.gov.uk to request these forms.     

    Details for each of the responsible authorities to notify

    The Gambling Commission

    Victoria Square House
    Victoria Square
    Birmingham
    B2 4BP
    Phone: 0121 230 6666
    info@gamblingcommission.gov.uk

    West Yorkshire Police

    Leeds District Licensing Department
    West Yorkshire Police
    Leeds District Headquarters
    Elland Road
    Leeds LS11 8BU
    Phone: 0113 385 9413
    Ca.licensing@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

    Leeds City Council Environmental Health

    Seacroft Ring Road Depot
    Leeds City Council
    LS14 1NZ
    Phone: 0113 378 5959
    env.health@leeds.gov.uk

    Leeds Safeguarding Childrens Partnership

    Leeds City Council
    Merrion House
    Merrion Way
    Leeds
    LS2 8BB
    Phone: 0113 395 2610
    LSCP.info@leeds.gov.uk

    Leeds City Council City Development

    Planning Compliance Service
    Merrion House
    Merrion Way
    Leeds
    LS2 8BB
    Phone: 0113 222 4409
    planning.enforcement@leeds.gov.uk

    West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

    Oakroyd Hall
    Birkenshaw
    West Yorkshire
    BD11 2DY
    Phone: 01274 655 785
    fire.safety@westyorksfire.gov.uk

    HM Revenue and Customs

    National Registration Unit
    Portcullis House
    21 India Street
    Glasgow
    G2 4PZ
    Phone: 0141 555 3633
    nru.betting&gaming@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

    Please note for the purposes of the Act the Licensing Authority is also a responsible authority. This means that you must also send a copy of any notices to the following address:     

    Leeds City Council
    Entertainment Licensing
    Civic Hall
    Leeds
    LS1 1UR
    Phone: 0113 378 5029
    entertainment.licensing@leeds.gov.uk

Changing or transferring your licence

Make changes to your licence

If you would like to change your gambling premises licence you will need to email us at entertainment.licensing@leeds.gov.uk to request, complete and return an application form to vary a licence.                     

Transfer an existing licence

If you would like to transfer a gambling premises licence, you will need to email us at entertainment.licensing@leeds.gov.uk to request and complete an application form to transfer a premises licence.

You will also need to complete and return the following documents with the application form: 

  • GNOTICE1 - Notice to be used in the newspaper advert and site notice
  • Notice to be sent to the responsible authorities (single applicant)
  • Notice to be sent to the responsible authorities (multiple applicants)
  • suggested measures (PDF, 295KB) External link

How we use your personal data

Sharing information

Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire police are Joint Data Controllers of the information you provide. The Council and the West Yorkshire Police have a statutory duty to process and maintain licences and permissions and conduct enforcement activities in accordance with the Gambling Act 2005 as part of a legal obligation to meet the statutory requirements for the licensing of gambling activities. 

We may share the following information with other third parties: details of the licensed premises, licence status, the names, addresses and company numbers of persons and companies named on a licence. This information may be shared with other services in the council. In addition we will share with external third party organisations including government departments, The Gambling Commission, HM Revenues and Customs, and West Yorkshire Police to make further enquiries regarding your application or where required by law for the detection and prevention of crime. 

The personal information you provide as part of your application for a premises licence will be held for a period of six years following the termination of the licence. Personal information held in relation to permits and small society lottery registrations will be held for a period of four years following the termination of the permission. 

Leeds City Council's corporate privacy notice, which includes details of the authority’s Data Protection Officer and your information rights.                      

The West Yorkshire Police full privacy notice external link

Making a complaint

Should you have cause for complaint in relation to a gambling premises, we would always recommend that you write to the business first. If that does not work, contact us and providing it is a matter covered by the legislation, we can investigate the complaint for you.​​​ 

Contact us

Email

Phone

0113 378 5029

Post

Entertainment Licensing
Leeds City Council
Civic Hall
Leeds, LS1 1UR

Use this form to give us your comments. Do not use it to give us personal information - please contact us if you need to get in touch.