The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985

Gaming by way of bingo N.I.

Who may participate in bingo N.I.

75.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), where bingo takes place on any bingo club premises, no person shall participate in the bingo—

(a) if he is not present on the premises at the time when the bingo takes place there, or

(b) on behalf of another person who is not present on the premises at that time.

(2) Where a game of bingo is played simultaneously on different bingo club premises in circumstances where—

(a) all the players take part in the same game at the same time and all are present, at that time on 1 or other of those premises, and

(b) the draw takes place on 1 or other of those premises while the game is being played, and

(c) any claim of 1 of the players to have won is indicated to all the other players before the next number is called,

then if—

(i) the aggregate amount paid to players as winnings in respect of that game does not exceed the aggregate amount of the stakes hazarded by the players in playing that game, and

(ii) the aggregate amount paid to players as winnings in respect of that game, together with the aggregate amount paid to players as winnings in respect of all games of bingo which, in the circumstances specified in sub-paragraphs (a) to (c), have previously been played in the same week and have been so played on premises consisting of, or including any of, those premises, does not exceed[F1 £55,000] or such other amount as the Department may specify by order, subject to affirmative resolution,

paragraph (1) shall have effect as if those different premises were the same premises.

(3) Subject to the following provisions of this Article, where bingo takes place on bingo club premises, no person shall participate in the bingo unless either—

(a) he is a member of the bingo club specified in the bingo club licence F2 ...; or

(b) he is a bona fide guest of a person who is a member of that bingo club F3 ...;

and neither the holder of the licence nor any person acting on his behalf or employed in the bingo club premises in question shall participate in the bingo.

F4 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) Where paragraph (2) has effect in relation to a game of bingo played simultaneously on different premises, for the purposes of the application of paragraphs (3) and (4) in relation to each of those premises, regard shall be had only to such of the players as are present on those particular premises.

(6) For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b) a person shall not be precluded from being a bona fide guest by reason only that he makes a payment which is required by regulations made under Article 76(2)(b).

(7) A person under the age of 18 shall not participate in bingo which takes place on bingo club premises.

(8) For the purposes of this Article a person participates in bingo if he takes part in the bingo as a player.

(9) In this Article and Article 76 “week” means a period of 7 days beginning with a Monday.

F1 SR 2001/414

F2 Words in art. 75(3)(a) repealed (27.4.2022) by Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 14), ss. 5(a), 17(2)

F3 Words in art. 75(3)(b) repealed (27.4.2022) by Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 14), ss. 5(b), 17(2)

F4 Art. 75(4) repealed (27.4.2022) by Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 14), ss. 5(c), 17(2)

Conditions applying to bingo N.I.

76.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Article, Articles 55(1), 56 and 57 shall have effect in relation to gaming by way of bingo as they have effect in relation to gaming to which Chapter I applies.

(2) Regulations may—

(a) provide that Article 55(1) shall not have effect in relation to gaming by way of bingo if the bingo is so played as to comply with such conditions as the regulations may prescribe;

(b) subject to paragraph (3), provide that charges which, apart from the regulations, would be prohibited by Article 56, may be made in such circumstances as the regulations may prescribe if they comply with such conditions as are so prescribed;

(c) provide that, where bingo takes place on bingo club premises, a levy, of such amount or calculated in such manner as the regulations prescribe, may in such circumstances as may be so prescribed be charged on the stakes or on the winnings of the players.

(3) No charge shall be made in accordance with paragraph (2)(b) unless particulars of the charges and of the circumstances in which they are chargeable—

(a) are displayed on the bingo club premises, and

(b) have, not less than 14 days before the date on which the charge is made, been notified to the sub-divisional commander of the police sub-division in which the bingo club premises are situated,

and, if the regulations so provide, those particulars comprise such matters as the regulations prescribe and are displayed on the bingo club premises in a manner, and in positions, determined in accordance with the regulations.

(4) Every prize won in respect of all games of bingo played in bingo club premises, other than games of bingo to which Article 77 applies, shall be a monetary prize.

(5) Without prejudice to the operation of Article 75(2) and (5), the aggregate amount paid to players as winnings in respect of all games of bingo played in any 1 week on any particular bingo club premises shall not exceed the aggregate amount of the stakes hazarded by the players in playing those games by more than[F5 £10,000] or such other amount as the Department may specify by order, subject to affirmative resolution.

(6) The holder of a bingo club licence or any person acting on his behalf or under any arrangement with him shall not—

(a) make any loan or otherwise provide or allow to any person any credit, or release, or discharge on another person's behalf, the whole or part of any debt,—

(i) for enabling any person to take part in bingo in the bingo club premises; or

(ii) in respect of any losses incurred by any person in that bingo; or

(b) accept a cheque and give in exchange for it cash or tokens for enabling any person to take part in that bingo.

(7) Bingo shall not take place on any bingo club premises on any [F6 Christmas Day].

(8) Regulations may—

(a) restrict the amount of stakes and prizes in any single game of bingo;

(b) prescribe—

(i) the types of games of bingo which may be promoted in bingo club premises;

(ii) the detailed rules in accordance with which any game of bingo is to be played;

(iii) the manner in which participation fees are to be allocated between the different games of bingo; and

(iv) the information to be made available to the players;

(c) require the holder of the bingo club licence to display, in such manner and in such position on the bingo club premises as the regulations may prescribe, the rules in accordance with which any game of bingo is to be played on the bingo club premises;

(d) without prejudice to paragraph (7), restrict the hours during which games of bingo will be permitted to take place on bingo club premises;

(e) impose such prohibitions, restrictions or other requirements (in addition to those imposed by or under the provisions of this Chapter) as appear to the Department to be requisite—

(i) for securing that bingo on any bingo club premises is fairly and properly conducted;

(ii) for preventing the use of any indirect means for doing anything which if done directly would be a contravention of this Chapter or of any regulations made under it.

F5 SR 2001/414

F6 Words in art. 76(7) substituted (27.4.2022) by Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 14), ss. 6(1), 17(2)