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Gambling Bill


Gambling Bill
Part 1 — Interpretation of Key Concepts

1

 

A

Bill

To

make provision about gambling.                                                                          

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and

consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present

Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Part 1

Interpretation of Key Concepts

Principal concepts

1       

The licensing objectives

In this Act a reference to the licensing objectives is a reference to the objectives

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of—

(a)   

preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being

associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime,

(b)   

ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way, and

(c)   

protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or

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exploited by gambling.

2       

Licensing authorities

For the purposes of this Act the following are licensing authorities—

(a)   

in relation to England—

(i)   

a district council,

15

(ii)   

a county council for a county in which there are no district

councils,

(iii)   

a London borough council,

(iv)   

the Common Council of the City of London, and

(v)   

the Council of the Isles of Scilly,

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(b)   

in relation to Wales—

(i)   

a county council, and

 
Bill 253/4
 
 

Gambling Bill
Part 1 — Interpretation of Key Concepts

2

 

(ii)   

a county borough council, and

(c)   

in relation to Scotland, a licensing board constituted under section 1 of

the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 (c. 66).

3       

Gambling

In this Act “gambling” means—

5

(a)   

gaming (within the meaning of section 6),

(b)   

betting (within the meaning of section 9), and

(c)   

participating in a lottery (within the meaning of section 14 and subject

to section [National Lottery]).

4       

Remote gambling

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(1)   

In this Act “remote gambling” means gambling in which persons participate by

the use of remote communication.

(2)   

In this Act “remote communication” means communication using—

(a)   

the internet,

(b)   

telephone,

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(c)   

television,

(d)   

radio, or

(e)   

any other kind of electronic or other technology for facilitating

communication.

(3)   

The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that a specified system or

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method of communication is or is not to be treated as a form of remote

communication for the purposes of this Act (and subsection (2) is subject to any

regulations under this subsection).

5       

Facilities for gambling

(1)   

For the purposes of this Act a person provides facilities for gambling if he—

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(a)   

invites others to gamble in accordance with arrangements made by

him,

(b)   

provides, operates or administers arrangements for gambling by

others, or

(c)   

participates in the operation or administration of gambling by others.

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(2)   

But a person does not provide facilities for gambling for the purposes of this

Act by virtue only of—

(a)   

providing an article other than a gaming machine to a person who

intends to use it, or may use it, in the course of any of the activities

mentioned in subsection (1)(a) to (c),

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(b)   

providing, otherwise than in the course of providing, operating or

administering arrangements for gambling or participating in the

operation or administration of gambling, an article to a person who

intends to use it, or may use it, for gambling, or

(c)   

making facilities for remote communication available for use by—

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(i)   

persons carrying on any of those activities, or

(ii)   

persons gambling in response to or in accordance with any of

those activities.

 
 

Gambling Bill
Part 1 — Interpretation of Key Concepts

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(3)   

A person provides facilities for gambling (despite subsection (2)(c)) if—

(a)   

he makes facilities for remote communication available for use, and

(b)   

the facilities are adapted or presented in such a way as to facilitate, or

to draw attention to the possibility of, their use for gambling.

Gaming

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6       

Gaming & game of chance

(1)   

In this Act “gaming” means playing a game of chance for a prize.

(2)   

In this Act “game of chance”—

(a)   

includes—

(i)   

a game that involves both an element of chance and an element

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of skill,

(ii)   

a game that involves an element of chance that can be

eliminated by superlative skill, and

(iii)   

a game that is presented as involving an element of chance, but

(b)   

does not include a sport.

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(3)   

For the purposes of this Act a person plays a game of chance if he participates

in a game of chance—

(a)   

whether or not there are other participants in the game, and

(b)   

whether or not a computer generates images or data taken to represent

the actions of other participants in the game.

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(4)   

For the purposes of this Act a person plays a game of chance for a prize—

(a)   

if he plays a game of chance and thereby acquires a chance of winning

a prize, and

(b)   

whether or not he risks losing anything at the game.

(5)   

In this Act “prize” in relation to gaming (except in the context of a gaming

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machine)—

(a)   

means money or money’s worth, and

(b)   

includes both a prize provided by a person organising gaming and

winnings of money staked.

(6)   

The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that a specified activity, or

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an activity carried on in specified circumstances, is or is not to be treated for the

purposes of this Act as—

(a)   

a game;

(b)   

a game of chance;

(c)   

a sport.

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7       

Casino

(1)   

For the purposes of this Act a casino is an arrangement whereby people are

given an opportunity to participate in one or more casino games.

(2)   

In this Act “casino game” means a game of chance which is not equal chance

gaming.

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(3)   

But the Secretary of State may by regulations provide that a specified activity,

or an activity carried on in specified circumstances, is to be or not to be treated

 
 

Gambling Bill
Part 1 — Interpretation of Key Concepts

4

 

as a casino game for the purposes of this Act (and subsection (2) is subject to

regulations under this subsection).

(4)   

For the purposes of this section it is immaterial—

(a)   

whether an arrangement is provided on one set of premises or on more

than one;

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(b)   

whether an arrangement is provided wholly or partly by means of

remote communication.

(5)   

The Secretary of State shall make regulations by reference to which any casino

may be classified as—

(a)   

a regional casino,

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(b)   

a large casino,

(c)   

a small casino, or

(d)   

below the minimum size for a licensed casino.

(6)   

Regulations under subsection (5) may make provision by reference to—

(a)   

the number of gaming tables used or designated for the playing of

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specified casino games or classes of casino game,

(b)   

the location of gaming tables used or designated for the playing of

specified casino games or classes of casino game,

(c)   

the concentration of gaming tables used or designated for the playing

of specified casino games or classes of casino game,

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(d)   

the floor area used or designated for gaming at tables,

(e)   

the floor area used or designated for other forms of gambling,

(f)   

the floor area used or designated for the provision of other facilities,

(g)   

any combination of the matters listed in paragraph (a) to (f), or

(h)   

any other matter.

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(7)   

Regulations under subsection (5) may—

(a)   

include provision for determining what floor area is to be treated as

being used or designated for a purpose;

(b)   

include provision for determining what activities do or do not amount

to the playing of a specified casino game or class of casino game;

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(c)   

include provision for determining what is or is not to be treated as a

gaming table (and, in particular, in what circumstances a number of

tables are to be treated as if they were a single gaming table);

(d)   

provide that a gaming table is to be treated as being used or designated

only if specified conditions (which may, in particular, relate to purpose

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of use, extent of use or circumstances of use) are satisfied.

8       

Equal chance gaming

(1)   

For the purposes of this Act gaming is equal chance gaming if—

(a)   

it does not involve playing or staking against a bank, and

(b)   

the chances are equally favourable to all participants.

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(2)   

For the purposes of subsection (1) it is immaterial—

(a)   

how a bank is described, and

(b)   

whether or not a bank is controlled or administered by a player.

 
 

 
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Revised 25 November 2004