Sector
Sports & Leisure
Gyms, sports clubs, leisure centres, events and recreation businesses.
Start here
Prepare your venue for Martyn's Law
Venues with 200+ capacity get counter-terrorism protect duties — prepare before commencement
Set up a sports, amusement and recreation business
Set-up route for sports and recreation businesses
Set up a gambling or betting business
Gambling Commission licensing for betting and gaming
Who regulates you
See all 16HSE (opens in a new tab)
Workplace health, safety, and welfare regulation across all industries. Enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and related regulations. Investigates serious incidents …
Enforces 4 Acts this sector relies on.
Local Authority (opens in a new tab)
Local councils enforce food safety (via Environmental Health Officers), issue alcohol licences, grant planning permission, and regulate certain business activities at local level. Responsibilities …
Enforces 4 Acts this sector relies on.
Trading Standards (opens in a new tab)
Enforces consumer protection legislation including food labelling, weights and measures, product safety, and fair trading. Part of local authority structure. Investigates food labelling breaches.
Enforces 4 Acts this sector relies on.
BBFC (opens in a new tab)
Classifies films, videos, and some video games for age rating. Statutory authority for classifying cinema releases and video works under the Video Recordings Act …
Enforces 3 Acts this sector relies on.
Gambling Commission (opens in a new tab)
Regulates gambling in Great Britain. Issues operating and premises licences. Protects vulnerable people and ensures fair gambling.
Enforces 3 Acts this sector relies on.
Ofcom (opens in a new tab)
Regulates telecoms, TV, radio, video-on-demand, postal services, and online safety. Issues licences for telecoms providers, manages spectrum. Now enforces Online Safety Act duties for …
Enforces 3 Acts this sector relies on.
Key legislation
See all 20What’s changing
VAT reduced rate (5%) for children's meals and family attractions June–September 2026
Licensing Act 2003 (FIFA World Cup Licensing Hours) Order 2026
General rules
Common requirements that apply across industries. Conditions such as employing people or operating premises are shown only after they are known.
File your confirmation statement
File a confirmation statement every 12 months, within 14 days after your review period ends. Filing late is a criminal offence for the company and its officers.
Applies across industries.
General ruleVerify your identity for Companies House as a director or PSC
Yes, if you are an individual director or PSC of a UK company, or an individual director of an overseas company registered in the UK. Corporate directors and officers of corporate PSCs are not yet required to verify. The transition for existing directors and PSCs ends on 17 November 2026.
Applies across industries.
General ruleMandatory registrations every business must complete
Step-by-step guide to the registrations every business must complete before trading, regardless of sector. Covers HMRC tax registration, ICO data protection fee, mandatory insurance, and pension auto-enrolment.
Applies across industries.
General rulePre-trading compliance checklist
A concise yes/no checklist to verify you have completed all mandatory pre-trading requirements, including business registration, tax, insurance, licences, premises approvals, and data protection.
Applies across industries.
General ruleMeet your business waste duty of care
Understand your legal responsibilities when producing, storing, or disposing of business waste. Covers using registered waste carriers, completing waste transfer notes, and the stricter rules for hazardous waste.
Applies across industries.
General ruleCheck if you need to register for VAT
Find out if your business must register for VAT based on your taxable turnover. Covers the £90,000 threshold, what counts as taxable turnover, the rolling 12-month test, and when voluntary registration makes sense.
Applies across industries.
All guidance for sports & leisure
Compliance & Legal
8
Sports, amusement and recreation compliance checklist
Use this checklist to confirm you have met every regulatory obligation that applies to your sports, amusement or recreation business — from workplace health and safety through to activity-specific licences, certificates and permits.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Meet your sports, amusement and recreation regulatory duties
If you serve alcohol or host regulated entertainment, operate a sports ground, run a swimming pool, coach children, operate fairground rides, offer adventure activities to young people or run gaming machines, your business carries specific licensing, certification, safeguarding or safety duties on top of the universal workplace foundation. This guide covers each regime and what you need to do.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Gambling and betting compliance checklist
Use this checklist to confirm you have met every regulatory obligation that applies to your gambling or betting business — from workplace health and safety through to Gambling Commission licensing, premises licences, gambling duties and anti-money-laundering supervision.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Set up and run a safe sports, amusement and recreation business
Whatever sports, amusement or recreation business you operate — a gym, a swimming pool, a theme park, a fairground, an adventure centre or an amusement arcade — you must manage the same workplace health and safety, fire safety, insurance, equality and data protection duties before you open. This guide walks you through each one.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Set up and run a safe gambling business
Whether you run a betting shop, casino, bingo hall, adult gaming centre or online gambling platform, you must manage the same workplace health and safety, fire safety, insurance, equality and data protection duties before you open. This guide walks you through each one.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Gambling licensing requirements for UK businesses
How to obtain gambling licences from the Gambling Commission, including operating, personal and premises licences. Covers responsible gambling requirements, compliance obligations, and 2025 regulatory changes.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Meet your gambling licensing and regulatory duties
Providing gambling facilities in Great Britain requires a Gambling Commission operating licence, personal licences for key staff, and — if you operate physical premises — a premises licence from the local council. You must also register for and pay gambling duties to HMRC, and casinos must comply with anti-money-laundering supervision. This guide covers every sector-specific licensing and regulatory duty.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Which gambling and betting regulations apply to your business
Gambling and betting businesses — bookmakers, casinos, bingo halls, adult gaming centres, online gambling operators and lottery managers — share a workplace-safety foundation, then face a heavily licensed regulatory framework under the Gambling Act 2005 and gambling duties enforced by HMRC.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Premises & Operations
2
Permission to run a bootcamp or fitness class in a park
Usually yes, if you charge for sessions: the council or other park manager must give you permission first. No law requires a fitness qualification, but permits usually ask for one.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Martyn's Law for pubs, shops and venues
Only if you can reasonably expect 200 or more people at once, staff included. The duties have not started and no start date is set.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Sector-Specific
2
Set up equestrian or livery services on your farm
How to comply with VAT, licensing, and insurance requirements when offering livery, riding lessons, or equestrian facilities. Covers VAT treatment, riding establishment licensing, and specialist insurance needs.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Age verification for online services
How to implement age verification to comply with the Online Safety Act and ICO Children's Code. Covers verification methods, pornography requirements, privacy considerations, and gaming/gambling rules.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Subsectors
SIC 2007 divisions covered by this sector.