Agenda item

Report of the Group Director of Services

The Group Director of Services submitted a report (previously circulated) which invited Members to approve a draft Statement of Licensing Principles for the Gambling Act 2005 (Gambling Policy) for release for consultation.

The submitted report stated that the Gambling Act 2005 required licensing authorities to publish a Statement of Principles that they proposed to apply in exercising their functions under the Act every three years. It was highlighted that Darlington’s current Statement of Licensing Principles was published in January 2022, and therefore a new policy was due to be published in January 2025.

The submitted report outlined the differences between the Gambling Commission and Local Authorities, and advised that the Gambling Commission provided guidance to Local Authorities.

The submitted report stated that in April 2023, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published a gambling white paper, which set out the Government’s plans for modernising the regulation of the gambling sector, which included a number of key proposals specifically relating to the land-based gambling sector. The public consultation undertaken by the DCMS was highlighted, however it was stated that in April 2024, the Gambling Commission issued a statement that advised that it would be very unlikely that they would be in a position to amend their own ’Guidance to Licensing Authorities’ document in sufficient time to allow Local Authorities to incorporate the proposed changes within their own Statements, and further advised that Statements be refreshed in line with the Act so as to be enforceable from January 2025.   

RESOLVED – That the draft Licensing Principles for the Gambling Act document be approved for public consultation.