Silvertime Amusements Secures 24/7 License for London Arcade
Jacob Mitchell 
Key Takeaways:
- Silvertime Amusements received a 24/7 license for an Earl’s Court arcade.
- Kensington and Chelsea Council granted the license despite prior planning refusal.
- The new site would offer 40 machines, up from 26 at the current location.
- Local community and councillors opposed the application due to deprivation concerns.
- Silvertime must appeal the planning decision to proceed with the new venue.
Silvertime Amusements, a gambling chain, has been granted a 24/7 license by Kensington and Chelsea Council for an arcade located directly opposite Earl’s Court Tube station in London. This decision follows a council meeting held last month. The license approval comes despite the council having previously refused a planning application for the proposed new venue in April.
Regulatory Context and Local Opposition
The granting of the gambling license by Kensington and Chelsea Council allows Silvertime Amusements to operate around the clock. However, the gambling chain still needs to successfully appeal the earlier planning decision to proceed with its plans for the new site. The proposed relocation involves moving Silvertime’s existing operation from 169 Earl’s Court Road to a larger, more prominent former Lloyds bank building at 177-179 Earl’s Court Road.
The application faced significant opposition from the local community, with 346 objections lodged against the licensing application. This reflects the ongoing debate in regulated online casino markets regarding local impact. Human Rights advocate Bianca Jagger publicly opposed the application, emphasizing the need to protect children in the area from harm. All three Earl’s Court ward councillors also publicly voiced their opposition to the plans.
Councillor Linda Wade, representing the area, stated that the application's impact "cannot be overstated." She described it as "detrimental to the local area" and highlighted that it "does not recognise the level of street livers who are vulnerable and the need to beg." Councillor Wade also noted that the application "has targeted an area of deprivation in a borough with the highest level of inequalities and in a ward with a high level of need either in the special supported hostels and complex needs in General Housing." She further commented that the borough "did not engage with Public Health as an interested body, but have now said that they would consult them going forward."
Operational Details and Future Requirements
Legal Counsel Andrew Woods, representing Silvertime at the hearing, stated that his client has operated at its current site for 10 years without issues. He argued that the relocation to the busy London road would provide improved and more comfortable facilities for patrons. The new site is planned to accommodate approximately 40 real money casino games, an increase from the 26 machines currently available at Silvertime’s existing premises.
Should Silvertime’s planning appeal be successful, the new venue will be required to have an SIA trained door supervisor present at all times the premises is open for gambling. Additionally, Silvertime will need to cease operations at its current 169 Earl’s Court Road location before any gambling activities commence at the new 177-179 Earl’s Court Road site.
