Persons to whom bingo club licences may be grantedN.I.
61.—(1) The person to whom a bingo club licence is granted shall be the owner of the bingo club proposed to be carried on under the bingo club licence.
(2) A bingo club licence may be granted to an individual, to a body corporate, or to 2 or more persons carrying on business in partnership.
(3) In considering the fitness of a person to hold a bingo club licence, a court shall have regard to the character, reputation and financial standing—
(a)of the applicant; and
(b)of any other person by whom the bingo club to which the application relates would be managed, or for whose benefit, if a licence were granted, gaming would be organised;
but may also take into consideration any other circumstances appearing to it to be relevant in determining whether the applicant is likely to be capable of, and diligent in, securing that the provisions of this Part and of any regulations made under it will be complied with, that gaming on the premises of the bingo club will be fairly and properly conducted, and that those premises will be conducted without disorder or disturbance.
(4) In considering the fitness of a body corporate to hold a bingo club licence, a court shall also have regard to the character, reputation and financial standing of the directors of the body corporate and any other persons who have executive control of it or who have a financial interest in it, as if the licence were, or were proposed to be, held by them jointly.
[(4A) In considering the fitness of any applicant to hold a bingo club licence, a court shall have regard to—
(a)any failure of the applicant or of any other person mentioned in paragraph (3)(b); and
(b)where the applicant is a body corporate, any failure of any director of the applicant or of any other person mentioned in paragraph (4);
to pay any amount due from him or it by way of bingo duty.]
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), the following persons shall be disqualified for obtaining or holding a bingo club licence—
(a)a person under the age of [18];
(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(c). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(d). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(7) A bingo club licence purporting to be held by any person—
(a)who is disqualified by paragraph (5) for holding or obtaining such a licence, or
(b)in respect of whom there is in force a disqualification order under Article 74 or 79,
is void.