Gambling Questions: Can I Host A Bingo / Keno Night?

Question:

Can bingo or keno be lawfully played on the premises of a private members club?

Answer:

In the US you need to play in a licensed casino.  In the UK the law has recently changed and you can play bingo / keno in a private members club without a licence as long as you abide by certain restrictions.  These are as follows:

The club must abide by limits which are about to be set in the Gambling Commission’s regulations for the amounts which can be deducted from sums staked or won.  The exact amounts have yet to be set - when they are set you will be able to find them at the Gambling Commission’s website.
The participation fee must be no more than the regulations allow.  Again, this fee has yet to be fixed, but it is expected to be in the region of £1 per person per day, or around £3 per person per day where a valid club gaming permit is held.
All games must be hosted on the club premises and not linked in any way with games held on any other premises.
Games must only be open to club members and members’ guests.  You can’t allow anyone to walk in off the street and play - they must join your private club first (or be signed in as a guest by an existing member).
The total stakes or prizes for bingo / keno (or any other “equal chance”) games played in any one week period must not be in excess of £2,000 on more than one occasion per year.  So if your bingo / keno nights take in or pay out more than £2,000 in a night, you need to apply for a license to operate if that night did not represent a “one-off event”.  If you don’t obtain a license and you then run another bingo / keno night that takes in or pays out more than £2,000 you will be committing an offence.

Stick to the above rules and you can run a bingo or keno night without applying for a licence.  For the rules of bingo, see our bingo rules page.

Related links:

Reputable casinos
Reputable poker rooms

Tags: Bingo, Gambling Questions, Gambling Rules, Keno