Deadline for new gambling licence

Changes to gambling laws mean that Wigan's bingo halls, amusement arcades and betting shops must apply for new licences later this year.

Control over licensing of betting and gaming will pass from the magistrates courts to councils on September 1, meaning that local authorities will be responsible for issuing licences.

Applications must be submitted by July 30 if bosses want to carry on running their businesses from September 1.

Otherwise they may face the possibility of temporary closure. A spokesman for Wigan Council said: "In Wigan there are around 100 premises which must apply for new licences but they are expected to qualify automatically due to 'grandfather rights' which allow existing operations to continue as before.

"This legislation means that councils are responsible for administering the licensing laws, not judging on whether gambling is moral or not.

"The government has decided that this is the way things should go, perhaps because it takes pressure off the courts and gives them more time to deal with other matters."

Today's new licensing system brings into power the tough new regulator, the Gambling Commission, which will take action against operators who fail to comply with the Act's three key objectives to ensure that gambling is fair, crime free, and that children and vulnerable people are protected.

Wigan Council will have the power to inspect and take action against premises that fail to comply with the rules.