Alcohol and gambling law

[davechopping]

Are you able to have both a license to sell alcohol that say a pub would have, but also a gambling license (covering all sports) so that you could act like a betting shop as well in the UK?

[loonytunes]

No. The Gambling Act 2005 requires that two licences are held by someone who wishes to provide gambling services. The first is an Operating Licence from the Gambling Commission in respect of which you are required to provide various policies to show how you will meet the licensing objectives. One of these is the protection of children and the vulnerable and another is to prevent crime and disorder. If you were to say that alcohol will be provided, it is impossible to show that you are meeting those objectives. In addition, you would then need a premises licence from your local authority for the place where those gambling activities will be provided. The law requires that certain mandatory conditions will be placed on those licences, depedning on the activity. That's why bookies can't serve alcohol and why amusement arcades are not allowed to have people drinking on the premises. You could go the whole hog and try to get a casino licence which can serve alcohol and have all sorts of gambling taking place - although you can't get one as no new ones are being allowed by the Government.