Place-of-consumption licensing set for October

UK’s new place-of-consumption licensing regime will come into force on 1 October.

The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act, which requires gambling operators that provide facilities for remote gambling or advertise to consumers in Britain to obtain a UK Gambling Commission licence, was granted Royal Assent in mid-May, the final stage of its parliamentary journey.

Transitional arrangements enable operators who are currently able to provide facilities for gambling in Great Britain (because they hold a licence in an EEA or white listed jurisdiction) to submit an advance application for a new licence by midnight (GMT) on 16 September and therefore be eligible for a continuation licence if the outcome of their application has not been determined by 1 October.

A continuation licence will allow them to continue to provide facilities until the completion of the application process.

The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill alters the licensing landscape previously outlined by the Gambling Act 2005, introduced in 2007, which allowed remote gambling operators serving UK consumers to base and licence themselves offshore without the need for a UK licence.

The new legislation is being introduced separately but also in parallel with a 15% place-of-consumption tax on gross gaming revenues, which is set to come into force in December.