Gambling Commission and licensing forum issue templates for inspections

The Gambling Commission has worked with a licensing forum in the Midlands to produce inspection guidance and templates aimed at making local gambling regulation easier to understand.

The templates – produced by the regulator in partnership with the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Licensing Forum and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership – cover:

• Inspection guides: “to aid local authority officers in completing inspections at different types of gambling premises.”
• Premises information: “To be left at the premises and satisfy the inspection provision regulations. They provide premises with information about the concept of shared regulation, inspection rationale and frequency, legal powers of entry, evidence of ID and the complaints procedures. They also include detail of the inspection areas (for example, relevant Premises Licence conditions, legislation and Social Responsibility Code Provisions).”
• An inspection guidance note for authorised local authority officers: “This is a preparatory tool that includes guidance on the legal requirements when conducting inspections such as the statement on entry, questioning and evidence of ID.”
• Requests for a written record of the inspection: Template to fulfil obligations around transparency. 

The Licensing Forum said: “These documents will assist licensing authority officers throughout England and Wales to fulfil gambling regulation obligations and achieve wider community safety objectives by helping protect the young and the vulnerable.”

The documents, which can be viewed here, will be reviewed annually to ensure they reflect legislative change.

A Gambling Commission spokesperson said: “We were pleased to support the work done by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Licensing Forum in making local gambling regulation easier to understand for both businesses and local authority officers.

“We welcome this work which will save time for local authority officers across the country and will help to provide more consistent local regulation for business.”