Sections 275 & 281: Bingo in clubs and alcohol licensed premises
699.These sections contain particular provisions regulating bingo played pursuant to any of the authorisations in this Part by clubs or miners’ welfare institutes, or on alcohol licensed premises. The purpose of sections 275 and 281 is to prevent facilities for bingo being offered on a large scale (high turnover bingo) under the various authorisations in this Part. Where a club, miners’ welfare institute, or alcohol licensed premises wishes to offer high turnover bingo it will require a bingo operating licence from the Commission, under Part 5. In such cases, clubs and miners’ welfare institutes are relieved from the general obligation under Part 5 to have at least one management office in the organisation held by a personal licence holder, under section 80(9).
700.The trigger for needing a bingo operating licence is that “high turnover bingo” is played in a “high turnover period”, and sections 275 and 281 provide identical and comprehensive definitions for both terms. The key element is that the total stakes or prizes for bingo games played in any period for 7 days exceed £2000. Subject to appropriate Parliamentary approval, this figure can be amended by the Secretary of State by order.
701.If a club or institute plays high turnover bingo without the appropriate operating licence it will commit an offence under section 33. Sections 275 and 281 operate in a way which means that offences are only committed after a club or institute has had its first week of high turnover bingo. Once that has happened an offence takes place if high turnover bingo is played again in the following 12 month period, unless a bingo operating licence has been obtained. In addition, a club or institute must inform the Commission whenever a high turnover period first begins (i.e. when it has had its first week of high turnover bingo), and failure to so is an offence, with a maximum penalty of a level 3 fine.
