Gambling Act 2005

The Gambling Bill will establish a new regime for the regulation of commercial gambling in Great Britain.

Betting shops, bingo halls, casinos, gaming machines and charity lotteries will all be affected. It also deals with gambling offered through remote technologies like the internet.

The legislation establishes a new regulator, the Gambling Commission and will be independent of government. It will license gambling operators and key personnel.

Local authorities (or, in Scotland, Licensing Boards) will license gambling premises in their area.

Culture secretary Tessa Jowell said the growth in internet gambling had led to a real need for reform. But she insisted the new Gambling Commission would ensure that the industry remained closely regulated.

“It is nearly 40 years since parliament last had the opportunity to take a serious look at our gambling laws and it’s not just attitudes that have changed since then. The technological revolution has touched all our lives and the gambling industry is no exception,” she said.

The legislation follows an intense round of lobbying by international casino firms.

Under the Bill, the 24 hour registration rule will be swept away, allowing over 18s to sign up and gamble on the same day.

It will also become easier to develop casinos in urban areas - a move which has prompted fears about a rise in gambling addicts.

Critics point to Australia where they warn a similar deregulation resulted in a large jump in the number of problem gamblers.

However, Lord McIntosh, the culture minister, said he was confident that the legislation would ensure a more mature approach to gambling in the UK.

Ministers have said they will monitor the number of problem gamblers closely to assess whether the legislation has any negative impact.