Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963

Fixing of betting days by licensing authority

14 (1) Subject to the provisions of this and the next following paragraph, each licensing authority shall, not later than the end of May in each year, fix one hundred and four days in the period of twelve months beginning with 1st July in that year as betting days, that is to say, days on which betting facilities may be provided on licensed tracks within the authority's area, and shall further fix four of those days as special betting days for the purposes of section 7 (2) of this Act.

(2) A licensing authority shall not be bound under the foregoing sub-paragraph to fix in advance betting days in any period of twelve months if it appears to them that at the beginning of that period no track betting licence will be in force in respect of a track in their area ; but, if they avail themselves of this sub-paragraph, then, so soon as they grant a track betting licence to take effect on any date during that period, they shall proceed to fix betting days in the part of that period which falls after the day preceding that date, and the number of days so fixed shall be twice the number of the complete weeks in that part of that period.

In this sub-paragraph, the expression "week" means a period of seven consecutive days beginning with a Sunday.

(3) The betting days and special betting days fixed by a licensing authority under this paragraph shall be the same for the whole of their area and shall not include Good Friday, Christmas Day or any Sunday.

15 (1) The following provisions of this paragraph shall have effect as regards the fixing of betting days for any period under paragraph 14 of this Schedule.

(2) At least one month before fixing the betting days for the period in question, the licensing authority shall publish in at least two newspapers circulating in their area a notice of their intention so to do.

(3) If, within one month from the date of the publication of the said notice, the licensing authority receive a notice in writing signed by all the holders of track betting licences in force in respect of tracks in their area stating that the signatories unanimously desire that the betting days in the period in question should be the days specified in the notice given under this sub-paragraph, then, if those days are days which might lawfully be fixed under paragraph 14 of this Schedule as the betting days for that period, the authority shall fix the days so specified as the betting days for that period.

(4) Unless the licensing authority fix the betting days for the period in question in accordance with sub-paragraph (3) of this paragraph, they shall before fixing those days consider any representations which may, during the period of one month beginning with the date of the publication of the notice required by sub-paragraph (2) of this paragraph, be made to them in writing by—

(a) any appropriate officer of police; or

(b) any person who is the holder of a track betting licence in force in respect of a track in the authority's area ; or

(c) any person who has given to the authority notice in writing of his intention to apply for such a licence in respect of such a track.

(5) The licensing authority shall, on being requested by any person so to do, inform that person of the latest time by which a notice under sub-paragraph (3) or a representation under sub-paragraph (4) of this paragraph must be received by the authority if it is to be effective.