some clarification and some thoughts please

[mahound]

I am a member of a snooker club, owned and run by the members

A few of us (7) play NLHE tournaments (5.00) and low stakes .10p / 20p games, 1 sometimes 2 nights a week. Never had any problem from the committee.
We are discreet, dont go shouting about the game,and dont make any trouble in the club.
We saw the committee and asked about running games on a regular basis.
They said no as it would contravene the gaming act.

Another suggestion that we had, was to form a poker league where each player pays subscriptions (2.00).
The cost to enter the games would be 5.00. Every player is awarded points for the position that they finished and for showing up and playing on a poker night.

The plan was at the end of the year, the position points would be tallied up and the money shared out, with those players who finished higher, would receive a larger share.

The subscription fees (after costs) would be divided equally and added to the added to the prize money from the games. This would mean that all players good or bad would recieve a share of the money.

Any way the point is that the committee have rejected the second suggestion as well.

Could anyone,if possible clarify the rules about the gaming act in a private snooker club?
Would like some input about the league as well, please.

Cheers and thanks in advance

[langboy]

Hi mahound,

Having been in the licenced bookmaking industry for twenty years (So that's where my life went!), and I have run into this discussion many times.

Sadly, you do not have a leg to stand on in this instance. The owner/proprietor of the snooker club is obviously a licensee, either to sell beers, wines and spirits and/or have the facility of AWPs (slot machines) on the premises also.

The licensee would be in serious contravention of his licence if he were to allow gambling (for whatever sized stakes) on his licensed premises. This is true also in pubs, where the passing of betting slips is still illegal, and in bookmakers offices, where the consumption of alcohol is illegal. However, the illegality only applies to the licensee and not to you as the card player (or the drinker in a betting office).

Spare a thought for the licensee, for he would be the only guy getting into trouble if the "long arm of the law" intervened. You would be able to walk away scot-free and the poor licensee could well be heavily fined for allowing the unlicenced gambling to take place and may even have his licence taken away, which would mean the end of his livelihood and the end of your snooker evenings too.

My advice, for what it's worth, is to get your pals together. Invest 10-15 in a set of poker chips and a couple of decks of cards (check out Argos for a half decent set), grab a few cans of whatever your tipple is and invade a friends house for the evening! Make sure that your unsuspecting friend knows about the invasion first and you will be all set for a cracking night of poker. As far as I know, there are no illegalities involved with a home-game between friends and you won't have to leave when the licensee calls time.

I regularly fly from Austria to get involved in a game back in my old home town. It's small stakes stuff but the banter is hilarious and the fun doesn't end til the early hours at the self styled Winchester Club in Great Barr, West Mids.

Who knows, you may one day become the next WPT Tournament Director. Thomas Kremser and Liam Flood had to start somewhere remember.

Regards,
Mike

[mahound]

MAny Thanks for your thoughts langboy. appreciated.