Government accused of favoring clubs in new gaming rules
Thursday 26th April 2007
The UK government has been accused of favouring private members’ clubs in its new gambling legislation. New laws allowing games such as bingo and poker to be played for money in pubs and clubs will come into force on September 1st.
However, pub trade associations have had to lobby The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) hard for the right to offer the maximum stakes and prize limits. A glaring disparity still exists for licensed premises where individual stakes for all equal chance games will be restricted to £5 per game, with a weekly prize limit of £500. The members clubs are being allowed double the above figures.
“There doesn’t seem to be any rationale to have a difference between private members’ clubs and pubs,” said Mark Hastings, communications director at the British Beer & Pub Association, who was hoping for a level playing field.
Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers’ Associations, said: “With the smoking ban coming up licensees need every bit of help to attract customers.”
Pub league poker has become extremely popular in the UK in recent years, and more small private gambling clubs are also opening.
The UK government has been accused of favouring private members’ clubs in its new gambling legislation. New laws allowing games such as bingo and poker to be played for money in pubs and clubs will come into force on September 1st.