Gambling Licences and Permits
West Lothian Licensing Board has a range of functions under the Gambling Act 2005
The Licensing web pages are intended to guide you through the procedures associated with making an application for a licence. They are not intended to summarise relatively complex areas of the law. Anyone using these pages should obtain independent advice from their own solicitors or advice centre.
The 2005 Act contains 3 licensing objectives which are central to the Board's exercise of its legal functions and in particular its decision making;
- preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, being associated with crime and disorder or being used to support crime
- ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way
- protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling
Gambling Statement of Principles
In accordance with the requirements of section 349 of the Gambling Act 2005, the Board is required to prepare and publish a statement of the principles it proposes to apply in exercising its functions under the Gambling Act 2005 every three years and a copy is available to download here Gambling Statement of Principles 2022-2025 [532KB]
The Statement is currently under review and the Board is consulting with anyone with an interest in Gambling in West Lothian, for further details including access to the current online consultation please see
What types of gambling applications can I apply for?
You can apply to the Board for a premises licence for any of the following activities:
- adult entertainment centre
- betting shop
- bingo
- family entertainment centre
- track
and you can also apply for any of the following types of permit:
- unlicensed family entertainment centres
- prize gaming
- licensed premises gaming machine
- club gaming
- club machine
- registration of a small society lottery
The Licensing Team is able to provide general guidance on the schemes but cannot assist you to complete an application form or provide legal advice on whether a licence or permit is required. Applicants should consult the alcohol licensing webpages for general guidance before making any application.
Please note that the Board does not issue gambling operating and personal licences as, by law, these are issued by the Gambling Commission. More information is available on the Gambling Commission's website Gambling Commission (opens new window)
