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 22What’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.
Meet your business waste duty of care
Every business that produces, stores or disposes of waste has a duty of care under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and stays responsible after it hands the waste on. Use only registered waste carriers, complete waste transfer notes correctly, and follow the stricter rules for hazardous waste.
Applies across industries.
General ruleFile 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 ruleCheck if you need to register for VAT
You must register for VAT when your taxable turnover passes the registration threshold in any rolling 12 months, or when you expect it to pass the threshold within the next 30 days alone. Under the first test, register within 30 days of the end of the month. Late registration brings penalties and backdated VAT.
Applies across industries.
All guidance for sports & leisure
Compliance & Legal
3
Meet your sports, amusement and recreation regulatory duties
A sports or leisure venue needs a premises licence to sell alcohol or stage larger events, and a safety certificate if it is a large sports ground. Pools, rides, adventure activities, gaming machines, coaching children and counter-terrorism planning each add their own duties.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Meet your gambling licensing and regulatory duties
Anyone providing gambling facilities as a business in Great Britain needs an operating licence from the Gambling Commission, and physical premises also need a premises licence from the council. Casinos must meet the anti-money-laundering rules, and Northern Ireland has a separate regime.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Gambling licensing requirements for UK businesses
Providing gambling facilities in Great Britain needs an operating licence from the Gambling Commission, plus a premises licence from the council for betting shops, casinos and arcades and personal licences for key staff. Operating without the right licences is a criminal offence.
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
Martyn's Law applies to your pub, shop or venue only if you can reasonably expect 200 or more people there at the same time, staff included. The duties have not started and no start date has been set; the Security Industry Authority will enforce them.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Sector-Specific
2
Set up equestrian or livery services on your farm
Keeping horses at livery needs no licence, but hiring out horses for riding or instruction needs one from your council. Planning permission is often needed for stables, arenas and conversions. VAT depends on the package: stabling you let exclusively is exempt unless you opt to tax, and lessons and horse hire are standard-rated.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Age verification for online services
The Online Safety Act 2023 requires online services to use age verification or age assurance to protect children from harmful content, and pornography services must stop children reaching it. Ofcom regulates the content duties and the Information Commission (formerly the ICO) the data protection side, including its Children's Code, so age checks must also respect privacy.
Relevant to a specific activity in this sector.
Subsectors
SIC 2007 divisions covered by this sector.