The Gambling Act 2005 contains a new regulatory system to govern the provision of all gambling in Great Britain, other than the National Lottery and spread betting, and outlaws all gambling in Great Britain, unless permitted by the measures contained in this Act, or measures contained in the National Lottery etc. Act 1993, or in accordance with the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
The Act also introduces the Gambling Commission, the unified regulator for gambling in Great Britain as well as a new licensing regime for commercial gambling, and removes from licensing justices all responsibility for granting gaming and betting permissions, which they exercised previously. Instead, the Commission and licensing authorities will share between them responsibility for all those matters previously regulated by licensing justices. The Commission will not regulate spread betting, which is currently the preserve of the Financial Services Authority, or the National Lottery, which is regulated by the National Lottery Commission. Those aside, the Commission will regulate all commercial gambling in Great Britain.
Additionally, the Commission will:
