Betting and Gaming Act 1960
Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
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The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 (8 & 9 Eliz. 2. c. 60) was a British act of Parliament that legalised additional forms of gambling in the United Kingdom. It was passed on 1 September 1960 and came into effect on 1 January 1961.[1]
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| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act to amend the law with respect to betting and gaming and to make certain other amendments with a view to securing consistency and uniformity in, and facilitating the consolidation of, the said law and the law with respect to lotteries; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 8 & 9 Eliz. 2. c. 60 |
| Territorial extent | [b] |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 29 July 1960 |
| Commencement |
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| Repealed | 1 October 1969[d] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | |
| Repeals/revokes | |
| Amended by | |
| Repealed by | |
| Relates to | Gaming Act 1968 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Records of Parliamentary debate relating to the statute from Hansard | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
Provisions
Based on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Betting, Lotteries and Gaming, 1949–51,[2] the act came into force on 1 January 1961 and first allowed gambling for small sums in games of skill such as bridge.[3] From May 1961 betting shops were allowed to open.[4]
Until 1965 about 16,000 licences were granted by local magistrates.[5]
Commencement, short title and extent
Section 31(1) of the act provided that the act may be cited as the "Betting and Gaming Act, 1960".
Section 31(2) of the act provided that the act would not extend to Northern Ireland.
Section 31(3) of the act provided that the act would come into force on the appointed day.
| Betting and Gaming Act 1960 (Commencement No. 1) Order 1960 | |
|---|---|
| Statutory Instrument | |
| |
| Citation | SI 1960/1556 |
| Dates | |
| Made | 26 August 1960 |
| Other legislation | |
| Made under | Betting and Gaming Act 1960 |
Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 (Commencement No. 1) Order 1960 (SI 1960/1556) provided the commencement date for the majority of the act.
| Betting and Gaming Act 1960 (Commencement No. 2) Order 1961 | |
|---|---|
| Statutory Instrument | |
| |
| Citation | SI 1961/2092 |
| Dates | |
| Made | 26 October 1961 |
| Other legislation | |
| Made under | Betting and Gaming Act 1960 |
Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 (Commencement No. 2) Order 1961 (SI 1961/2092) provided that section 6 and the consequential repeal of section 1(3) of the Street Betting Act 1906 (6 Edw. 7. c. 43) by section 29(3) and part II of the sixth schedule to the act, would come in to force on 1 December 1961.
Aim
The aim of the act was to take gambling off the street and end the practice of runners (employed by bookmakers) collecting from punters, a move welcomed by the clergy. Fines would be imposed at a later date on any street gambling.[1]
Consequences
The opening of betting shops affected the greyhound racing industry in the United Kingdom with attendances suffering throughout Britain. From 1961–1969 there were 21 National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) registered track closures[6] and many independent (unaffiliated to a governing body) track closures. The act is regarded as one of the primary reasons for the decline of greyhound racing with 91 NGRC track closures alone recorded from 1960–2010.[7]
