(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Gambling (Operating Licence and Single-Machine Permit Fees) Regulations 2017 (“the 2017 Regulations”, S.I. 2017/303) made under the Gambling Act 2005 (“the Act”).
The 2017 Regulations prescribe fees relating to operating licences (application, annual and other fees) and single-machine supply and maintenance permits (application fees only) issued under Parts 5 and 10 of the Act respectively. Although most of the changes made by these Regulations come into force on 1st October 2021, the changes made by regulations 4(3), 22, 24 and 28, and Schedules 1 and 3, come into force on 6th April 2022.
The Regulations introduce above inflation increases to application, annual and other fees in relation to a number of gambling activities. The level of fee increases, and the extent to which these apply to different gambling activities, is based on assessment undertaken by the Gambling Commission of the level of regulatory work required to ensure compliance by gambling operators in particular sectors of the industry. Further details are contained in the Impact Assessment and the Explanatory Memorandum identified in the final paragraph of this Explanatory Note.
Regulation 14 revokes regulation 29 of the 2017 Regulations, removing a discount for annual fees payable when a person applies for or holds two operating licences at the same time. Regulations 3, 4(2), 5, 6(2)(a), 10 and 15 make consequential changes to remove other references to regulation 29 of the 2017 Regulations.
Regulation 17(c) amends the 2017 Regulations so that a fee is no longer payable to change a residential address on an operating licence.
By regulations 22 to 27, the existing tables in the Schedules to the 2017 Regulations are replaced by those set out in Schedules 1 to 6 of these Regulations. Regulation 28 makes further amendments to the new Schedule 2 as regards increases to application fees for lottery operating licences from 6th April 2022.
A full regulatory impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business, the voluntary sector and the public sector is available from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport at 100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ, and is published with the Explanatory Memorandum alongside this instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.