Gaming (Bingo) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Made: 11th April 2003

Coming into operation: 1st August 2003

The Department for Social Development, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Article 76(2), (3) and (8) of the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985[^f00001] and now vested in it[^f00002] and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Gaming (Bingo) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and shall come into operation on 1st August 2003.

• (2) In these Regulations “the Order” means the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.

• (3) A reference in these Regulations to a charge in respect of gaming by way of bingo does not include an amount paid for a chance of winning a prize in games of bingo to which Article 77 of the Order applies.

Bingo charges

2

• (1) Any charge which, apart from this regulation, would be prohibited by Article 56 of the Order, may be made in respect of gaming by way of bingo on bingo club premises, subject to the following conditions, namely –

• (a) the charge shall be in respect of a person and shall be for his admission to bingo club premises or otherwise in respect of his participation in a game of bingo on those premises;

• (b) in the case of his admission, the charge shall not exceed £10 per day; and

• (c) in the case of his participation in a game of bingo, the charge shall not exceed £5 for each chance in playing the game.

• (2) In the case of a charge for admission, a notice of that charge shall be displayed on the bingo club premises at or near the principal entrance.

• (3) In the case of any other charge in respect of gaming by way of bingo, a notice in the name of the bingo club concerned containing the particulars of the charges specified in paragraph (4) shall be displayed at the point (or, if more than one, the main point) where payment for the charge is to be made.

• (4) The particulars to be contained in the notice are:

• (a) the date from which the notice applies;

• (b) the name of each ticket or game (or set of tickets or games) to be played during the currency of the notice;

• (c) the cost (in money) of each ticket or game (or set of tickets or games);

• (d) the charge in respect of each ticket or game (or set of tickets or games); and

• (e) a statement to the effect that all or part of the charge may be waived at the discretion of the person making it.

• (5) The notices referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3) may be displayed in electronic form.

Display of additional information

3

• (1) In relation to gaming by way of bingo in respect of which a charge may be made by virtue of regulation 2(1), the following information shall be prominently displayed in the bingo club premises before each game of bingo has ended, or, where the stake hazarded by each player is in respect of a series of games, before that series has ended –

• (a) the aggregate amount of the charges (if any) paid by the players by virtue of regulation 2(1)(c) for participation in that game or that series of games;

• (b) the aggregate amount staked by the players in that game or that series of games; and

• (c) the aggregate amount to be paid out as winnings to those players.

• (2) The information referred to in paragraph (1) may be displayed in electronic form.

Revocation

4

The following are hereby revoked –

• (a) the Gaming (Bingo) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987[^f00003]; and

• (b) the Gaming (Bingo) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001[^f00004].

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 11th April 2003.

Henry Johnston — A Senior Officer of the — Department for Social Development

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations revoke and replace the Gaming (Bingo) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (“the 1987 Regulations”) with effect from 1st August 2003.

Regulation 2 prescribes:

• (a) £10 per day as the maximum amount a person may be charged for admission to bingo club premises; and

• (b) £5 as the maximum amount a person may be charged for each chance to participate in a game of bingo on those premises.

These provisions replace the requirement in the 1987 Regulations that the aggregate bingo charges, during a charging period of at least two hours duration, should not exceed £10.

Regulation 2 also makes new provision, requiring the display of:

• (a) a notice of the admission charge at or near the principal entrance to the bingo club premises;

• (b) in the case of other charges in respect of gaming by way of bingo, a notice, at the payment point or main payment point, showing:

• (i) the date from which the notice is operative;

• (ii) the name of each ticket or game (or set of tickets or games) to be played during the currency of the notice;

• (iii) the cost to a player of each ticket or game (or set of tickets or games) i.e. stake and participation charge;

• (iv) the participation charge which can be made for each ticket or game (or set of tickets or games);

• (v) a statement that all or part of the charge may be waived.

The notices may be in electronic form.

Regulation 3 specifies the information to be displayed before each game of bingo, or series of games, has ended. This information may be displayed in electronic form.

Regulation 4 revokes the Gaming (Bingo) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 and the Gaming (Bingo) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: S.I. 1985/1204 (N.I. 11); see Article 2(2) for the definitions of “the Department” and “regulations”

[^f00002]: See Article 8(b) of and Part II of Schedule 6 to the Departments (Transfer and Assignment of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 1999 (S.R. 1999 No. 481)

[^f00003]: S.R. 1987 No. 8

[^f00004]: S.R. 2001 No. 415