Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956


Number 2 of 1956


GAMING AND LOTTERIES ACT 1956

REVISED

Updated to 10 November 2021


This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.

All Acts up to and including the Defence (Amendment) Act 2021 (33/2021), enacted 9 November 2021, and all statutory instruments up to and including the Railway Safety Act 2005 (Section 4(5)) (Specified Infrastructure, Monorail) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 589 of 2021), made 10 November 2021, were considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.

Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to

revisedacts@lawreform.ie.


Number 2 of 1956


GAMING AND LOTTERIES ACT 1956

REVISED

Updated to 10 November 2021


Introduction

This Revised Act presents the text of the Act as it has been amended since enactment, and preserves the format in which it was passed.

Related legislation

Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 to 2019: this Act is one of a group of Acts included in this collective citation, to be construed together as one (Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019 (44/2019), s. 27(2)). The Acts in this group are:

Gaming and Lotteries Act 1970 (6/1970)

Gaming and Lotteries Act 1979 (6/1979)

National Lottery Act 1986 (28/1986), s. 33

Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 2003 (16/2003)

National Lottery Act 2013 (13/2013), Part 9

Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019 (44/2019)

Annotations

This Revised Act is annotated and includes textual and non-textual amendments, statutory instruments made pursuant to the Act and previous affecting provisions.

An explanation of how to read annotations is available at

www.lawreform.ie/annotations.

Material not updated in this revision

Where other legislation is amended by this Act, those amendments may have been superseded by other amendments in other legislation, or the amended legislation may have been repealed or revoked. This information is not represented in this revision but will be reflected in a revision of the amended legislation if one is available.

Where legislation or a fragment of legislation is referred to in annotations, changes to this legislation or fragment may not be reflected in this revision but will be reflected in a revision of the legislation referred to if one is available.

A list of legislative changes to any Act, and to statutory instruments from 1972, may be found linked from the page of the Act or statutory instrument at

www.irishstatutebook.ie.

Acts which affect or previously affected this revision

Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019 (44/2019)

National Lottery Act 2013 (13/2013)

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act 2011 (21/2011)

Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 (50/2001)

Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (39/1997)

Finance Act 1993 (13/1993)

Finance Act 1992 (9/1992)

Finance Act 1989 (10/1989)

National Lottery Act 1986 (28/1986)

Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983 (24/1983)

Gaming and Lotteries Act 1979 (6/1979)

Finance Act 1975 (6/1975)

Gaming and Lotteries Act 1970 (6/1970)

Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1956 (47/1956)

Finance Act 1956 (22/1956)

All Acts up to and including Defence (Amendment) Act 2021 (33/2021), enacted 9 November 2021, were considered in the preparation of this revision.

Statutory instruments which affect or previously affected this revision

Lottery Prizes Regulations 2002 (S.I. No. 29 of 2002)

Lottery Prizes Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 174 of 2000)

Lottery Prizes Regulations 1987 (S.I. No. 72 of 1987)

Periodical Lotteries Regulations 1966 (S.I. No. 32 of 1966)

Periodical Lotteries Regulations 1961 (S.I. No. 212 of 1961)

Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1956 (Commencement) Order 1956 (S.I. No. 18 of 1956)

All statutory instruments up to and including Railway Safety Act 2005 (Section 4(5)) (Specified Infrastructure, Monorail) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 589 of 2021), made 10 November 2021, were considered in the preparation of this revision.


Number 2 of 1956


GAMING AND LOTTERIES ACT 1956

REVISED

Updated to 10 November 2021


ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Part I.

PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL.

Section

1.

Short title and commencement.

2.

Definitions.

3.

Repeals.

Part II.

GAMING.

4.

Unlawful gaming.

5.

Use of places for unlawful gaming. (Repealed)

6.

Gaming at circus or travelling show. (Repealed)

7.

Gaming at carnivals. (Repealed)

8.

Residence qualifications for promoters of gaming. (Repealed)

9.

Gaming on licensed premises. (Repealed)

9A.

Gaming permits

10.

Prohibition of slot-machines. (Repealed)

11.

Cheating. (Repealed)

Part III.

LICENSING OF AMUSEMENT HALLS AND FUNFAIRS.

12.

Application of this Part.

13.

Adoption of this Part by local authority.

14.

Licensed amusement hall and funfair.

15.

Certificate for gaming licence.

16.

Notice of application for certificate.

17.

Hearing of application.

18.

Appeal in respect of application for certificate.

19.

Issue of licence.

19A.

Register of Gaming Licences.

20.

Display of notice by licensee.

Part IV.

LOTTERIES.

21.

Prohibition of lotteries. (Repealed)

22.

Advertisement of lotteries. (Repealed)

22A.

Non-Application of Section 22. (Repealed)

23.

Private lotteries. (Repealed)

24.

Lotteries at dances and concerts. (Repealed)

25.

Lotteries at carnivals and other events. (Repealed)

26.

Lotteries under permit or licence.

26A.

Non-Application of Section 26.

27.

Permits. (Repealed)

27A.

Lotteries held in conjunction with certain events

27B.

Lottery permits.

28.

Lottery licence.

28A.

Matters to take into consideration when making regulations under section 27 or 28. (Repealed)

29.

Notice of application for licence. (Repealed)

30.

False statements on application for licence or permit.

31.

Hearing of application.

32.

Appeal in respect of application for licence. (Repealed)

33.

Lottery tickets.

34.

Prohibition on taking or sending money or documents out of State. (Repealed)

35.

Exemption from Betting Acts.

Part V.

ENFORCEMENT, EVIDENCE AND PENALTIES.

36.

Gaming and wagering contracts void.

37.

Seizure of gaming instruments.

38.

Power of entry of Garda Síochána.

39.

Search warrant.

40.

Arrest of offenders.

41.

Obstruction of Garda Síochána.

42.

Evidence of keeping place for unlawful gaming.

43.

Evidence of unlawful gaming.

44.

Offences.

45.

Offences in relation to bodies corporate and unincorporated bodies. (Repealed)

46.

Revocation of licences and permits.

47.

Forfeiture of gaming instruments.

48.

Destruction of documents.

49.

Postal packets containing unlawful documents posted in the State.

50.

Records, accounts and returns.

50A.

Regulations

51.

Exemption of Hospitals' Sweepstakes.

SCHEDULE.


Acts Referred to

Criminal Justice Act, 1951

No. 2 of 1951

Betting Act, 1931

No. 27 of 1931


Number 2 of 1956


GAMING AND LOTTERIES ACT 1956

REVISED

Updated to 10 November 2021


AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW RELATING TO GAMING AND LOTTERIES. [14th February, 1956.]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:—

Annotations:

Modifications (not altering text):

C1

Application of collectively cited Gaming and Lotteries Acts restricted (27.02.2014) by National Lottery Act 2013 (13/2013), s. 50, commenced as per s. 1(3).

Exemption of National Lottery from Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 to 2013

50. The Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 to 2013 do not apply to the National Lottery.

C2

Application of collectively cited Gaming and Lotteries Acts restricted (27.10.2008) by European Communities (Financial Instruments Analogous to Prize Bonds) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 419 of 2008), reg. 2

2. The Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 to 2003 do not apply to financial instruments which are analogous to non-interest bearing securities created and issued by the Minister for Finance under Part V of the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1956 (No. 47 of 1956), in relation to which chance may be used to select particular securities for prizes, issued by—

(a) another Member State,

(b) a regional authority in another Member State, or

(c) a local authority in another Member State.

C3

Application of collectively cited Gaming and Lotteries Acts restricted (15.07.1986) by National Lottery Act 1986 (28/1986), s. 32, commenced on enactment.

Exemption of National Lottery from Gaming and Lotteries Acts, 1956 to 1979.

32.— The Gaming and Lotteries Acts, 1956 to 1979, shall not apply to the National Lottery.

C4

Application of Act restricted (27/12/1956) by Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1956 (47/1956), s. 22(5), commenced on enactment.

Prize bonds.

2.— …

(5) Nothing contained in the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1956 (No. 2 of 1956), shall apply in relation to prize bonds.