| Short Title: | Betting and Gaming Act 1960 |
| Type: | Act |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Long Title: | An Act to amend the law with respect to betting and gaming and to make certain other amendments with a view to securing consistency and uniformity in, and facilitating the consolidation of, the said law and the law with respect to lotteries; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid. |
| Year: | 1960 |
| Citation: | 8 & 9 Eliz. 2. c. 60 |
| Royal Assent: | 29 July 1960 |
| Commencement: | 1 January 1961 |
| Related Legislation: | Gaming Act 1968 |
| Status: | repealed |
| Millbankhansard: | betting-and-gaming-act-1960 |
| Use New Uk-Leg: | no |
The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 (8 & 9 Eliz. 2. c. 60) was a British Act of Parliament that legalised additional forms of gambling in the United Kingdom. It was passed on 1 September 1960 and came into effect on 1 January 1961.[1]
Based on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Betting, Lotteries and Gaming, 1949–51,[2] the act came into force on 1 January 1961 and first allowed gambling for small sums in games of skill such as bridge.[3] From May 1961 betting shops were allowed to open.[4]
Until 1965 about 16,000 licences were granted by local magistrates.[5]
The aim was to take gambling off the street and end the practice of runners (employed by bookmakers) collecting from punters, a move welcomed by the clergy. Fines would be imposed at a later date on any street gambling.[1]
The opening of betting shops affected the greyhound racing industry in the United Kingdom with attendances suffering throughout Britain. From 1961 - 1969 there were 21 National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) registered track closures[6] and many independent (unaffiliated to a governing body) track closures. The act is regarded as one of the primary reasons for the decline of greyhound racing with 91 NGRC track closures alone recorded from 1960 - 2010.[7]