The Gaming Machines (Maximum Prizes) Regulations 2005

Statutory Instruments

2005 No. 2775

BETTING, GAMING AND LOTTERIES

The Gaming Machines (Maximum Prizes) Regulations 2005

Made

8th October 2005

Laid before Parliament

10th October 2005

Coming into force

31st October 2005

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred upon her by sections 31(5) and 51(3) of the Gaming Act 1968(1), and after consultation with the Gaming Board for Great Britain(2), hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Gaming Machines (Maximum Prizes) Regulations 2005 and shall come into force on 31st October 2005.

Maximum prize for gaming machines made available in casinos

2.  For the purposes of section 31(5) of the Gaming Act 1968 (maximum prize in respect of any one game played by means of a machine to which Part 3 of that Act applies on licensed or registered premises) the prescribed amount shall be, in the case of a machine on any premises in respect of which a licence under that Act is for the time being in force other than bingo club premises (as defined in section 20 of that Act(3)), £4,000.

Revocation

3.  The Gaming Machines (Maximum Prizes) Regulations 2001(4) are hereby revoked.

Richard Caborn

Minister of State

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

8th October 2005

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations increase the maximum amount which may be paid as a prize in respect of any one game played on a gaming machine where the machine is made available in a casino (being premises, other than a bingo club, licensed under the Gaming Act 1968). The amount is increased from £2,000 to £4,000.

A full Regulatory Impact Assessment of the costs and benefits of these Regulations is available from the Gaming and Lotteries Branch, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5DH, telephone [phone].

(1)

1968 c. 65. The Gaming Act 1968 is to be repealed by the Gambling Act 2005 (c. 19), section 356(4) and Schedule 17, on a date to be appointed by order made under section 358(1) of that Act. Section 31(5) is amended by article 2(6) of the Regulatory Reform (Gaming Machines) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/3275). Section 51(3) is amended by the Gambling Act 2005, section 356(1) and Schedule 16, paragraph 3(6). Section 52(1) of the Gaming Act 1968 defines the term “prescribed”, which is used in section 31(5), to mean prescribed by regulations made under that Act. Section 51(1) of the Gaming Act 1968 enables the Secretary of State to make regulations for any purpose for which regulations are authorised to be made under that Act.

(2)

Section 21 of the Gambling Act 2005 repeals the provisions of the Gaming Act 1968 which establish the Gaming Board for Great Britain. Section 20 of the Gambling Act 2005 establishes the Gambling Commission and section 21(2) transfers the Board’s functions to it. Sections 20 and 21 of the Gambling Act 2005 were brought into force on 1st October 2005 by S.I. 2005/2425. The consultation in respect of these Regulations took place before 1st October 2005 and was therefore with the Gaming Board for Great Britain.

(3)

There are amendments to section 20, but they are not relevant to these Regulations.

(4)

S.I. 2001/3970.