Gambling Commission given permission to appeal

The Gambling Commission has been given permission by the First Tier Tribunal to appeal the decision which required the Commission to grant an operating Licence authorising the introduction of bingo into pubs operated by a major pub operator. Last year the Commission refused the initial application but this decision was overturned by the First Tier Tribunal. See our article on the matter: 'Gambling Commission to Appeal Greene King Decision?'.

The Commission has made the following statement which makes its position on this subject very clear, but it will be interesting to see how matters develop;

"We are clear, and this view is strongly supported by the Government, that commercial betting, gaming and bingo and any associated high stakes and prize machines, should be provided only in separate premises licensed for that specific purpose - premises that adults make a deliberate choice to visit in order to gamble. A judgment from the Upper Tribunal should hopefully clarify what we can and can't do by way of operating licences. Meanwhile, we are working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to see how we can both use our various powers to keep commercial gambling in dedicated licensed premises and stop it spreading to pubs."

It appears therefore that as well as pursing the appeal the Commission will explore other avenues to achieve its stated aim.

We will keep you updated.