Have your say on Camarthenshire gambling policy

You can have your say on the way Camarthenshire County Council regulates gambling within its boundaries - do you think gambling in your area is a source of crime or disorder, are you happy that gambling in the county is fair? These are the responsibility of the county council and they want to hear from you.

The policy sets out the principles applied when the council is exercising its functions under the Gambling Act 2005.

The current policy was adopted in January 2007 and must be reviewed at least every three years.

Principal licensing officer Emyr Jones said: “As part of the review we are consulting a number of interested parties including licence holders, businesses, local residents and their representatives.”

Licensing Authorities responsibilities under the Act include being responsible for the licensing of premises where gambling activities are to take place by issuing Premises Licences; regulating members’ clubs and miners’ welfare institutes who wish to undertake certain gaming activities via issuing Club Gaming Permits and/or Club Machine Permits; issuing Club Machine Permits to Commercial Clubs and receiving notifications from alcohol licensed premises
(under the Licensing Act 2003) for the use of two or fewer gaming machines.

In exercising most of their functions under the Gambling Act 2005, licensing authorities must have regard to the licensing objectives as set out in section 1 of the Act. The licensing objectives are preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime; ensuring that
gambling is conducted in a fair and open way; and protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

For more information please contact Camarthenshire licensing section on 01267 234567.

Responses to the consultation must be submitted by October 9, 2009, although an earlier response would be appreciated.