Norwich Admiral Gaming Centre Applies To Open 24 Hours On St Stephens Street
Luxury Leisure has asked Norwich City Council to let its Admiral adult gaming centre at 20A-22 St Stephens Street trade 24 hours a day, less than two years after a planning inspector cleared it to stay open until 2am.
The council is expected to decide by the end of August 2026.
What Luxury Leisure Has Applied For
The application matters because the hours a gaming venue can open are decided on the ground by councils and inspectors, not by the slot machines inside.
For players in Britain, licensed online casinos already run around the clock, so the fight on St Stephens Street is really about the physical high street rather than access to play.
The operator now wants the final restriction removed so the arcade can open at any hour. In its evidence to the earlier appeal, Luxury Leisure said many of its adult gaming centres around the country already operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
An Adult Gaming Centre, Not A Casino
The site is an adult gaming centre, not a casino in the legal sense. Under the Gambling Act 2005, an adult gaming centre is an over-18s venue licensed by the Gambling Commission for an operating licence and by the local authority for a premises licence, offering category B3, C and D machines. It is a lower tier than a licensed casino, which is why the machine mix and stakes are capped.
What Happens Next
Norwich City Council is due to reach a decision by the end of August 2026. If it refuses, Luxury Leisure has the option to appeal again to the Planning Inspectorate, the same route that delivered the 2am extension. The full appeal decision sets out the reasoning the council will have to work around.
