Premises licences

Businesses or individuals who provide gambling facilities must have a premises licence granted under section 150 of the Gambling Act 2003 for the following areas:

• Casinos
• Bingo halls
• Betting premises (including tracks and premises used by betting intermediaries)
• Adult gaming centre premises (for category B3, B4, C and D machines)
• Family entertainment centre premises (for category C and D machines), however we can issue a family entertainment centre gaming machine permit with authorises the use of category D machines only.

Casinos

• We do not issue casino licences as St Helens is not classed as a major city.

Bingo premises

• The premises must have the provision of facilities for the playing of bingo.
• The premises can have a maximum of four category B3 or B4 gaming machines.
• The premises can have an unlimited category C or D gaming machines.
• Children are permitted and able to play the category D machines but not permitted to enter the area where category C or higher machines are located.

Betting premises (Including track)

• The premises must have 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.
• The premises can have 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 not to be able to enter the area where any category C or B machines are located on non-race days.

Adult gaming centre premises

• The premises can have a maximum of 4 category B3 or B4 gaming machines.
• The premises can have unlimited category C or D gaming machines.
• No children are permitted in this premises type.

Family entertainment centre premises

• The premises can have unlimited category C or D gaming machines.
• Children who are able to play the category D machines are permitted in the premises but not permitted to enter the area where the category C machines are located.

• Gambling Act 2005
  • Gambling Act 2005 Section 150
  • Gambling Act 2005 Section 159
• Gambling Commission
• Statement of Gambling Policy 2022 (PDF) [591KB] (opens new window)
• Local gambling risk assessment information (PDF) [190KB] (opens new window)

To apply for a premises licence, you will first need a gambling operator's licence from the Gambling Commission. You can apply for a gambling operator's licence on the Gambling Commission website.

Your gambling operator's licence must show that you're authorised for the appropriate activities for the premises licence you're applying for.

Apply for a premises licence

To apply for a gambling premises licence, you will need to complete the application form (PDF) [318KB] and submit a plan of the premises.

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.

Depending on the type of application you're submitting, the plan must show some further areas.

Displaying of the public notice

For a period of not less than 28 days, starting the day after we have accepted your application, you must display a notice which is:

• At least A4 in size
• On plain white paper
• Printed legibly or typed in black ink in a font equal to or larger than 16
• In a prominent position on the premises where it can be conveniently read from the outside by passers-by.

The public notice will need to contain the following information:

• The name and address of the applicant
• The postal address of the premises (if there is no postal address, a description of the location sufficient to identify the premises)
• The postal address and, where applicable, the web address where the application may be inspected
• The type of licence being applied for
• The name of the licensing authority to which the application has been made
• The date by which an interested party or responsible authority may make representation (within the 28 days from the day after the day we accept the application)
• That it is an offence under section 342 of the Gambling Act 2005 if a person, without reasonable excuse, gives to a licensing authority for a purpose connected with that Act information which is false or misleading.

Advertising the application in a local newspaper

You are also required to publish a notice containing the same information as your public notice in a local newspaper (the current local newspaper is the St Helens Star). You will need to ensure that the notice is published at least once during the period of 10 working days starting on the day after we accept your application.

You will need to wait for a notice period of 28 days where you advertise your application. If no comments or objections are received in this time, the licence will automatically be granted.

To apply for a gambling premises licence please complete the application form (PDF) [318KB] (opens new window) .

You will need to return the form to us by email.

Gambling premises licences do not expire; however you will need to pay an annual fee each year for the licence.

Please refer to the table of fees below for the cost of the annual fee.