Premises where gambling activities are provided must be authorised by a premises licence.
Types of premises licence
We issue five different categories of premises licence.
Premises licences may only be granted to persons or organisations that hold an appropriate operating licence issued by the Gambling Commission. The only exception is the betting at tracks licence.
Adult gaming centres
Amusement arcades making gaming machines available for use, accessible by over-18s only.
Betting at tracks
Areas at racecourses and sports grounds at which licensed bookmakers will be taking bets on a race or sporting event happening at that location.
Betting at other premises
Premises away from tracks and sports grounds, such as a high street shop, where a licensed bookmaker will be taking bets on races and sporting events happening elsewhere.
Bingo
Premises at which games of commercial prize bingo are regularly played.
Family entertainment centres
Amusement arcade premises making gaming machines available for use, open to persons of all ages.
Each type of licence allows a particular combination of gambling activities, including the right to make a certain number of gaming machines available for use.
Casinos
There are currently no licensed casino premises in Sutton. We are not one of the areas authorised by the Government to issue new casino licences.
How to apply
The application process differs slightly for each type of application. Full details are given in the guidance notes attached to the application forms.
You can post your application to:
Licensing Team
London Borough of Sutton
Civic Offices
St Nicholas Way
Sutton
SM1 1EA
You must give notice of your application to the responsible authorities. These bodies and members of the public can make a representation or objection to your application.
Fees
Details of the fees payable are available on our fees page.
An annual fee is payable for all premises licences in order to keep the licence active. This is in addition to the application fee for a new or variation of an existing licence.
You can pay online or over the phone by calling 020 8770 5000.
Advertisement of application
Applicants are required to advertise their application for new licences or variations of existing licences.
You will have to advertise both at the premises and in a local newspaper to alert local residents and businesses.
Consultation
From the day an application is made, there is a 28-day consultation period.
We will write to people within the vicinity (defined within our Statement of Policy) and provide the details of the application.
During this period, any representations may be made by responsible authorities or interested parties. This includes local residents and businesses. Representations may support or oppose the application.
We will usually be able to confirm the grant or refusal of an application shortly after the end of the consultation period.
However, if representations have been received, or if it is intended to exclude default conditions or attach additional conditions, the application will be referred to a Licensing Sub-Committee hearing to be decided.
If you wish to make a representation in objection to an application, you must ensure that your representation relates directly to one or more of the Licensing Objectives. Objections based on moral objections to gambling, planning concerns or issues such as parking cannot be accepted.
When objections are received
When objections are received, a hearing will be held to determine the outcome of the application.
You will be invited to attend the hearing to verbally support your views.
Hearings are held on our premises during the day and are attended by 3 elected members of the Council known as a Sub Committee.
You may choose to be supported at the hearing by a representative who may be your local ward councillor, legal representative or anyone who will speak on your behalf.
Issuing your licence
Once a decision has been made, we aim to issue your licence with 10 working days.
Conditions
Any licence granted will automatically be subject to a number of standard mandatory conditions. These vary depending on the type of licence. The conditions are set out in regulations made by the Secretary of State.
Licences may also be subject to a default condition restricting opening hours. The applicant can request for this to be excluded.
We can also impose further conditions in response to any specific concerns.
Current applications
When an application is received and open for public consultation, it will be detailed below.
Application details are removed once the consultation period is complete.
Reviews
A responsible authority or an interested party may apply to review a premises licence.
You will need to submit an application form to the Licensing Authority. You should include the reasons why you're requesting a review and any supporting information or documents.
The Gambling Commission and Licensing Authorities have statutory responsibilities for gambling premises in their area.
They will use their powers to ensure that licensed premises operate in accordance with the law and any conditions attached to their licence(s). However, there may be occasions when concerns exist over the operation of premises which can't be resolved through mediation or enforcement.
In those situations, a responsible authority or an interested party may request that a licence is reviewed.
Public Register
The Gambling Commission public register holds the details of all operating licence holders, personal licence holders and premises licences.