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16 1945

RACING BOARD AND RACECOURSES ACT, 1945

Chapter II.

Restrictions on bookmakers carrying on business at authorised racecourses or in the precincts thereof, and charges for admission of bookmakers to authorised racecourses.

Prohibition of course betting by bookmakers not holding permits from the Board.

23. —(1) It shall not be lawful for any person to carry on the business of a bookmaker at any authorised racecourse or in the precincts thereof, unless such person is the holder of a course-betting permit.

(2) If any person acts in contravention of this section, that person shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.

(3) Where a person who is not the holder of a course-betting permit is found carrying on the business of a bookmaker at any authorised racecourse, any person acting under the direction of the Board or the executive of that authorised racecourse may remove such first-mentioned person therefrom and for this purpose may use such force as may be reasonably necessary.

Course-betting permits.

24. —(1) The Board may, if in its absolute discretion it so thinks fit, grant to any licensed bookmaker a permit authorising him to carry on the business of a bookmaker at authorised racecourses or in the precincts thereof.

(2) The Board, in its absolute discretion, may, at any time, suspend for such time as it thinks fit or revoke a course-betting permit.

(3) Whenever the Board, in the exercise of its powers under this section, refuses to grant a course-betting permit to a licensed bookmaker or suspends or revokes a course-betting permit held by a licensed bookmaker, the following provisions shall have effect—

(a) the Board shall inform the licensed bookmaker in writing of such refusal, suspension or revocation,

(b) the licensed bookmaker may, within seven days after being so informed, request the Board to afford him an opportunity of making to the Board, in relation to such refusal, suspension or revocation, representations, oral or written, and the Board shall grant any such request.

(4) Where a person to whom a course-betting permit is granted ceases to be a licensed bookmaker, the course-betting permit shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed, by virtue of this subsection, to have been revoked upon such cesser.

Production of course-betting permits on demand.

25. —(1) Any authorised officer of the Board may demand of any person, whom he observes to be engaged in or carrying on the business of a bookmaker at any authorised racecourse or in the precincts thereof, the production of his course-betting permit, and if that person refuses or fails to produce such permit or produces such permit, but refuses or fails to permit such authorised officer to read it, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section.

(2) Whenever any person of whom the production of his course-betting permit is lawfully demanded under this section refuses or fails to produce such permit or produces such permit, but fails or refuses to permit the authorised officer of the Board making the demand to read and examine such permit, such authorised officer may demand of such person his name and address and if such person refuses to give his name or fails or refuses to give his address or gives a name or address which is false or misleading, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section.

(3) Any person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.

(4) A person who, when the production of his course-betting permit is lawfully demanded of him under this section, does not produce such permit because he is not the holder of a course-betting permit shall be deemed to fail to produce his course-betting permit within the meaning of this section.

Charge for admission of bookmakers to authorised racecourses.

26. —(1) The Board may make regulations fixing the charges to be made by executives of authorised racecourses to any licensed bookmaker or his assistants accompanying him for admission to authorised racecourses and different charges may be fixed in respect of different authorised racecourses and in respect of different parts of the same authorised racecourse.

(2) In making regulations under this section in relation to any authorised racecourse, the Board shall not—

(a) fix, for the admission of a licensed bookmaker to any part of that racecourse, a charge exceeding five times the charge then made to a member of the public for admission to that part, or

(b) fix, for the admission of an assistant accompanying a licensed bookmaker to any part of that racecourse, a charge exceeding the charge then made to a member of the public for admission to that part.

(3) Where regulations under this section applicable to any authorised racecourse are in force—

(a) the charge to be made to any licensed bookmaker for admission to any part of that racecourse shall not, except with the consent of the licensed bookmaker, exceed that fixed by those regulations for the admission of a licensed bookmaker to that part, and

(b) the charge to be made to any assistant accompanying a licensed bookmaker for admission to any part of that racecourse shall not, except with the consent of the licensed bookmaker, exceed that fixed by those regulations for the admission of an assistant accompanying a licensed bookmaker to that part.

(4) Subsection (6) of section 3 of the Totalisator Act, 1929 (No. 22 of 1929), is hereby amended by the deletion of all words from the words “and the charge to any such licensed bookmaker” to the end of the said subsection.