Change To Casino Regulations Allows Live Entertainment
Sports Minister Richard Caborn has today laid regulations in the House of Commons to allow casinos in England and Wales to offer live entertainment.
The change, promised in the Government's response to the Budd Report A Safe Bet for Success, published in March, alters Regulations originally drawn up in 1969 which prohibit, "dancing ... (and) ... the provision of music and entertainment by persons actually present and performing."
Under the 1968 Gaming Act, the law allows magistrates to restrict the use of casino premises for purposes other than gaming. The new Regulations do not affect that. The Department intends to issue guidance outlining that it is not the Government's intention that magistrates should prevent live entertainment of an acceptable sort. But the decision in each case will be with individual magistrates.
Announcing the change, Richard Caborn said:
"This is further evidence of our commitment to reform the law that relates to gambling. As people use their leisure time in increasingly diverse ways, the current restrictions stand out as being outdated and irrelevant.
"This change will be welcomed by the industry and will offer casinos the chance to entertain their punters."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1 A Safe Bet for Success is available on the DCMS website.
2 Most premises which want to lay on live entertainment require an entertainment licence, issued by the local authority. But this does not apply to casinos. Private clubs are exempt from the need for an entertainment licence, and the current membership requirement for casinos means that they all have to run as private clubs.
3 The law currently says that casinos cannot allow dancing or live acts. They can have TV and radio, and play music over their sound system. But they cannot have, for instance, a pianist or singer.
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