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Legal Eagle

Licensing

Q: Performing in casinos

Why does our present Gaming Act prevent performers appearing in casinos? Is there any hope of a change in this situation?

A: In fact the prohibition does not appear in the Gaming Act 1968 itself, but in certain regulations made the following year which stipulate that gaming licences granted under the Act must restrict the use of the relevant premises to purposes other than dancing and the provision of music or entertainment by persons actually present and performing.

The reasons for the restriction are to be found in the Report of the Gaming Board 1969 as follows. The board considered that gaming clubs should not be allowed to use excess profits from gaming to subsidise entertainment and other activities which in turn could be used to attract more people to the tables. There was evidence that the demand for gaming had been stimulated by the attraction of cabaret stars and big names in the entertainment world.

In addition, the board found an undesirable blurring of control by the mixture of cabaret, dancing, drinking and gaming, and that gaming areas tended to become overcrowded so that control and supervision were rendered more difficult.

As part of the Government's deregulation programme, the entire law of gaming is under review and is likely to be substantially deregulated in the near future, including the law relating to casinos.

Various consultation papers have been issued by the Government, setting out the proposals for deregulation, and comments on these proposals were submitted to the Home Office by May 31, 1996. Among many other things, proposals are to be considered for relaxing (but not abolishing) rules relating to membership, liquor licensing hours and advertising of casinos.

However, the declared intention is to retain the existing prohibition against live entertainment in casinos so, if you feel strongly about the matter, you should put your views in writing to the Home Office.

First published June 1996