Through our industry recognised expert, Barry Holland, we are able to offer clients a wide range of advice with regard to betting, gambling and liquor selling sites as well as premises offering entertainment. As former Chairman of the Food Law Group, he has enormous experience in the food industry, particularly in retail and due diligence problems, as well as assisting food manufacturers.
Barry’s experience spans from helping individuals to obtain licences to supporting national retailers and high profile shopping centres to have their applications granted in a smooth and time efficient manner.
Liquor Licences
Under the 2003 Licensing Act, anyone wishing to sell alcohol or provide entertainment or late night refreshment has to adhere to a dual system of licensing – personal and premises licences.
Any combination of the above activities can be included on a licence application and we can also assist clubs, both proprietary and members’ with applications and variations as well as obtaining temporary licences for one-off occasions (e.g. fund raising events in a school/village hall). However, due to its limitations great care is needed for this kind of application.
Gambling
The Gambling Act 2005 came into force on 1 September 2007 providing both new protection for gamblers along with new powers of enforcement and controls on operators. This was to ensure three government objectives were met:
- To ensure gambling is undertaken openly and honestly
- To prevent crime
- To ensure children/vulnerable people are not exploited by gambling
Our licensing team helps operators of casinos, betting shops, bingo halls, major leisure attractions and amusement arcades to gain the permits they need to operate their businesses and to deal with regulators when enforcement action is threatened or taken.
Regulators and neighbours have far more power than under previous statutes, so enforcement and review action is more frequent; we can assist in ensuring minimum disruption or damage to operators and we can advise how to minimise risk.
Food Law
Barry was a founder member of the Food Group which came into being with the Food Safety Act 1990.
He has advised a major supermarket chain on chill chain procedures and represented companies and individuals before magistrates throughout England and Wales in food related offences and age related crimes (e.g. sale of liquor to persons under 18) as well as advising on risk assessments and other technical issues in the industry.