Gaming
London gaming solicitors Joelson has specialised in gaming law longer than any other UK law firm.
Our solicitors have seen, and actively participated in, the considerable developments in the gaming industry that have occurred as the applicable legislation has developed, most recently with the Gambling Act 2005 introducing a new licensing and regulatory regime for the gaming industry generally.
Our clients encompass both land-based and remote/online gaming businesses, and we advise a wide variety of operators on all aspects of licensing and associated regulatory and compliance requirements affecting the gaming industry from our offices in London, including:
- Operators of casinos (including in relation to gaming machine entitlements);
- Operators of bingo halls (including in relation to gaming machine entitlements) and pub and club operators wishing to provide bingo in their premises;
- Operators of poker clubs and pub and club operators wishing to provide poker in their premises;
- Operators of Adult Gaming Centres (including in relation to bingo as prize gaming);
- Operators of licensed and unlicensed family entertainment centres (including in relation to bingo as prize gaming);
- Operators of betting shops, tracks, pubs and clubs offering gaming machines;
- Remote gaming operators providing casino gaming and poker facilities through remote communication means (including via the internet, mobile phones or other hand-held mobile devices);
- Gaming machine manufacturers (including in relation to the Gambling Commission’s Gaming Machine Technical Standards and Gaming Machine Testing Strategy);
- Gambling software manufacturers and suppliers;
- Television companies wishing to provide gaming facilities via interactive television.
Our advice covers such matters as:
- Applications to the Gambling Commission for Operating Licences and variations to and continuation (on a change of control occurring) of existing Operating Licences;
- Applications to the Gambling Commission for Personal Management Licences (in situations where a person has responsibility for:
- Overall strategy & delivery of gambling operations;
- Financial planning, control & budgeting;
- Marketing & commercial development;
- Regulatory compliance;
- Gaming related IT provision & security;
- Management of particular premises; unless the small-scale operator exemption applies, for example in the case of certain bingo club and AGC operators);
- Applications to the Gambling Commission for Personal Functional Licences (for casino employees involved in gaming or handling cash in relation to gaming);
- Advice on notification and reporting requirements pursuant to the Gambling Act 2005 and the Gambling Commission’s “Licence Conditions and Code of Practice”;
- Defending applications for review of Operating or Personal Management or Personal Functional Licences;
- Application to the local Licensing Authority for a Premises Licence and variations to (including “splitting”), and transfers of, existing Premises Licences;
- Resisting application for review of a Premises Licence;
- Giving a Temporary Use Notice, enabling premises not licensed for gaming to be used temporarily for such a purpose;
- In relation to remote gaming, advising which is the most appropriate international jurisdiction within which to make application for a licence and, if so required, how to avoid triggering the requirement to obtain an Operating Licence in the UK;
- What, in addition to poker, constitutes equal-chance gaming;
- Advertising restrictions.
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