Gambling licences
If you wish to allow gambling activities to take place in your premises, you must apply for a licence.
The council is responsible for:
- licensing premises for gambling activities
- issuing provisional statements for premises
- considering notices given for the temporary use of premises for gambling
- granting permits for gaming and gaming machines in clubs and miners’ welfare institutes
- regulating gaming and gaming machines in alcohol-licensed premises
- granting permits to family entertainment centres for the use of certain lower stake gaming machines
- granting permits for prize gaming
- considering occasional use notices for betting at tracks
- registering small society lotteries
Gambling policy
Under the Gambling Act 2005, the council must have a Statement of Gambling Policy (PDF File, 1,070kb) relating to the act. This was adopted in January 2022 and is the fifth edition since the Gambling Act came into force. We must review this policy every three years. Our last review was in 2022. For a copy of the changes contact us on request@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk or 01636 650000.
Registers for licensed premises are kept in accordance with regulations and a Gambling premises register October 2022 (PDF File, 29kb) is also available at the council offices for public inspection.
We are currently consulting on the Gambling Policy. The closing date for comments is the 24 November 2024. All comments are to be sent in writing to licensing@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk or to the following address:
Licensing Team, Castle House, Great North Road, Newark, NG24 1BY
Occasional use notice
An occasional use notice (OCN) allows betting to take place on a track for eight days or less in a calendar year, where no premises licence has been issued. This process is different to the temporary use notice (TUN).
A 'track' does not necessarily have to be a horse racecourse or greyhound track. Other examples of tracks include:
- point-to-point horserace meeting
- football, cricket or rugby grounds
- athletics stadium
- golf-course
- venues hosting darts, bowls or snooker tournaments
- premises staging boxing matches
- section of river hosting a fishing competition
- motor racing event
Applying for an occasional use notice
To apply to us for an OCN, you’ll first need obtain the appropriate operating permission from the Gambling Commission. The applicant must be the person responsible for the administration of events on the track, or by an occupier of the track.
You must specify the day on which the betting will be taking place. The notice may be for consecutive days as long as the eight day limit is not exceeded. Your application for an OCN in Newark and Sherwood should be sent to us as the licensing authority and to the chief officer of police.
Apply for an occasional use notice (PDF File, 380kb)
Provided that the betting does not take place on more than eight days, there is no provision for objections to be submitted and the licensing authority will acknowledge your notice. There is no fee for this type of application.