UK poker law

J

jduk

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Heres a question on interpretation of the UK law.

In a pub the limits are 5 pounds stake per game, 100 pounds prizes per game plus 100 pounds prizes/stakes per premises per day ( also weekly limit apply). No rake/deduction or entry fee permitted. All stakes must be returned in prizes.

In a private members club the limits are 10, 250, 250 respectively with a 48 hour delay between applying for membership and participating in poker.
The club must be formed for another purpose other than gaming and that must not be its main purpose.

My question revolves around the interaction of the two sets of limits where the premises is a private members club ( formed for an all together different purpose which remains its main purpose ) running a league on liscenced premises. Each league qualifier costs 5 per player and complies with the 100 limits. So we are ok on simply the pub rules even though all the guys have to join the club.

At the end of the season, the final championship game is a 250 prize money game for which players must have competed in at least 4 games.
there's one game per week so by then they must be members for at least 4 weeks plus 48 hours.

Im wondering if, given that the league closes to newbies joining the club at the point they can no longer compete in 4 weekly qualifiers, can I use the pub rules ( which weekly qualifiers comply with) to avoid any membership condition.

By the time we get to the big game final, that is open only to members who have already been members for the required period?

Interested in your thought ( esp if youre a lawyer !)
 
Stu_Ungar

Stu_Ungar

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They don't interact at all.

The league is being run in a licensed bar and therefore comes under the pub licensing laws.

If you want to run the final events as a members only event, hats fine so long as it is held in the official members clubhouse (which cannot be someone else's pub)

So if your members only club already owns premises in its name, make all participants members of your private club and hold the final events in your club house.

If your club does not own premises then all events are going to be held in a pub and thus you are subject to those laws.

What you cant do is nominate a particular pub to be your clubhouse for a night (if that's your plan you cant do it.. your club would literally have to take ownership of the premises and no one s going to let you do that).

So as I said at the start, the rules don interact.

Hold it in a private members club, and the private members laws apply.

Hold it in a pub and the pub rules apply.

Its all down to who owns the place (or is registered tenant obviously)
 
J

jduk

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clarification

The situation I describe is in fact a liscenced clubhouse of a private member's club.

All my guys have to join the private club to play. All the usual conditions of a private members club are satisfied for the club involved. Therefore the 10/250 limits apply from the word go.

However, the condition that members have to apply/join at least 48 hours in advance is the issue.

Given that
- the premises are liscenced ( & therefore the 5/100 limits apply)
- the qualifiers would be ok under normal pub rules for stakes/prizes
- before they can play in the big money final events ( up to 250 prizes) they must compete in at least 4 weekly qualifiers
- we close to new participants once they can no longer compete in 4 qualifiers

Can I disregard the 48 hour rule on the basis that the qualifiers are ok under pub rules and by the time we exploit the higher private members club rules, they have already been members for at least 48 hours?

At the moment I specify that I need 48 hours notice of application to join the club before they can play in a qualifier. Om wondering if his is really required?
 
Stu_Ungar

Stu_Ungar

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No it is not required.

They are not playng in the clubhouse.

They can apply for membership to the club during the qualifier.
 
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