The Licensing Sub-Committee of Croydon Council met on Thursday 10 September 2026 to consider an application to vary a premises licence for an Adult Gaming Centre. The primary focus of the meeting was an application to extend the operating hours of the Admiral Casino at 6 Westow Hill, Upper Norwood, SE19 1RX, from its current hours of 8 am to midnight to 24 hours a day. The meeting also included standard procedural items such as the appointment of a chair and the disclosure of interests.

Gambling Act 2005 - Application for Variation to Premises Licence - Adult Gaming Centre: 6 Westow Hill, Upper Norwood, SE19 1RX

The main item scheduled for discussion was an application by Luxury Leisure to vary the premises licence for the Admiral Adult Gaming Centre. The applicant sought to remove the condition restricting operating hours to 8 am to midnight daily, allowing for 24-hour operation. A consequential amendment was also proposed to Condition 3 of the licence, which relates to single staffing after 8 pm.

The report pack provided to the committee detailed the application and included extensive documentation from the applicant, Luxury Leisure, and various interested parties. The applicant's case, presented in a skeleton argument, argued that the variation sought would be reasonably consistent with the licensing objectives and that the evidence did not demonstrate that these objectives would be undermined. They highlighted their company's responsible operating practices, accreditations such as Global Gaming Guidance Group (G4) accreditation, and the lack of objections from Responsible Authorities, including the police. The applicant also noted that planning permission for 24-hour operation had already been granted by the Local Planning Authority.

However, representations were received from fifteen Interested Parties. These objections raised concerns across all three licensing objectives:

• Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder: Concerns were raised about potential increases in pressure on local police, the possibility of assaults on partners or children by individuals leaving the premises after losing money, and the general risk of crime, noise, anti-social behaviour, littering, and late-night disturbances. There was also a concern about the risk of money laundering.
• Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way: One representation questioned the conceptual difficulty for players in understanding gaming machines and suggested they are designed to encourage addictive behaviour rather than fair play.
• Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling: Objections included concerns about the normalisation of gambling due to adults entering the premises at all hours, posing a risk to children passing by on their way to and from school. There were also concerns that 24-hour gambling centres are predatory and target vulnerable people, potentially leading to increased addiction, financial loss, and harm to those with impulsive behaviour disorders.

The report pack included detailed witness statements from Mark Thompson (Risk and Compliance Director for Luxury Leisure) and Shaun Hooper (Regional Operations Director for Luxury Leisure), as well as an observations report from Leveche Associates Limited, a licensing and security consultancy. These documents provided evidence and arguments from the applicant's perspective, addressing the concerns raised by objectors and outlining the company's policies and procedures for responsible gambling, staff training, security measures, and customer interaction.

Additionally, a planning permission decision notice from the London Borough of Croydon dated 29 October 2025 was included, which granted planning permission for the removal of a condition restricting opening hours at the premises, allowing for 24-hour operation. This decision was made following a noise assessment by Hepworth Acoustics, which concluded that extended operating hours would result in no discernible loss of amenity to the adjacent residences.

The meeting also had available the Council's Statement of Licensing Principles 2025-28, which outlines the council's approach to promoting the licensing objectives. The protocol for Licensing Hearings under the Gambling Act 2005 was also provided, detailing the procedures for the hearing itself.

The committee was asked to determine whether to grant the application for a variation to the Adult Gaming Centre Premises Licence.