The Gambling Act comes into force in September bringing a unified approach to a previously disjointed legal regime. Th new Act will supercede the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963; the Gaming Act 1968 and the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976. Under the new legislation, remote gambling via the Internet and other means of communication will be regulated while offline and online gambling will be under the auspices of the Gambling Commission. With the exception of the National Lottery and Spread Betting, all forms of gambling will be subject to the new Act. Gambling includes a wide range of activities, notably prize competitions, course betting, lotteries, poker, casinos and gaming machines. If you run a bingo hall, betting office, amusement arcade or any other form of gaming machines, operate a society lottery or carry out other local fundraisers, you will fall under this change in legislation. The timescale for the new regime will be as follows over the next few months: July 31: deadline for continuation rights August 31: deadline for Grandfather rights September 1: Act goes live old licences fall away continuation rights activated provided July 31 deadline met. Gareth Watts Pembrokeshire County Council's commercial pollution and licensing manager, said: "If you are involved in gambling and are unsure if this change will affect you, please contact the Authority's Licensing Team on 01437 764551 as soon as possible to ensure that you will be able to continue lawfully with your activities." The county council's policy on gambling can be found on the authority's website http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk">www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk
