BIL and GBG propose pub gaming machine licence short cut
The Business in Licensing (BIL) and Gambling Business Group (GBG) have proposed to remove the requirement for pubs and clubs to notify Licensing Authorities that they wish to use their automatic entitlement to two gaming machines.
The trade bodies believe the move could save the UK pub sector at least £500,000 (€589,700) a year in administrative fees and eliminate an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
The UK Gambling Commission and the British Beer and Pub Association have backed the proposal which would save pub operators and machine suppliers £50 per notification.
The proposal would see the UK Gambling Commission change its statutory Guidance to Licensing Authorities, advising them to automatically send the code of practice for gaming machines in clubs and pubs to the alcohol premises licence holders.
The Commission would also amend the Regulatory Returns of those who supply gaming machines, so operating licence holders would have to give details of the exact numbers of machines supplied.
Nick Arron, partner at law firm Poppleston Allen, commented: “Taken together, this raft of changes should result in a reduction of costs to licensed businesses and machine operators, the removal of unnecessary confusion around the notification process by those who aren’t fully conversant with the detailed wording of the Gambling Act 2005, reduced cost and administration burden to licensing authorities, increased transparency over the legality of the presence of gaming machines in pubs, improved enforceability of licensing and gambling law, improved regulation of licensed premises, enhance the quality of information held by the Gambling Commission on the numbers of gaming machines in British alcohol licensed premises and protection of the public courtesy of transparent adherence to the Gambling Commission’s Code of Conduct.”
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