Western Australian Consolidated Acts

BETTING CONTROL ACT 1954 - SECT 31

31 .         Conduct of betting

        (1)         A bookmaker shall not — 

            (a)         employ — 

                  (i)         in the business of the bookmaker or as an agent in relation to that business, any person other than a licensed employee or licensed manager; or

                  (ii)         on a race course, a person who does not hold a permit from the committee or other authority controlling that race course in respect of the aspects of the business to be carried on by that person;

            (b)         except in so far as the licence of a licensed employee may authorise that employee to carry on a specific aspect of the business of that bookmaker, in the case of a bookmaker who is a natural person, fail personally — 

                  (i)         to conduct the business;

                  (ii)         to make every bet; and

                  (iii)         in respect of each bet other than a bet made by telephone in accordance with the regulations, to write and, unless the regulations provide otherwise, deliver to the bettor the betting ticket;

            (c)         allow any other person to have an interest, financial or otherwise, in the business of that bookmaker, whether that interest is direct or indirect;

            (d)         pay or promise to pay to a person a sum of money the amount of which in any way depends upon — 

                  (i)         the amount of the profit or loss sustained by the bookmaker in betting related to the business of that bookmaker; or

                  (ii)         the results of that betting;

            (e)         pay or give, or promise to pay or give, to a person any payment, fee, commission, remuneration, reward or any valuable consideration whatsoever in consideration of that person on behalf of any other person — 

                  (i)         making; or

                  (ii)         taking,

                bets with that bookmaker;

            (f)         receive, or agree or promise to receive, as the consideration for a bet the delivery of, or an agreement or promise to deliver, property other than money;

            (g)         refuse or neglect to pay a bet as and when directed by the Commission; or

            (h)         bet on any event other than — 

                  (i)         a race or the result of a race; or

                  (ii)         an approved sporting event, or an approved contingency related to an approved sporting event.

        (2)         A bookmaker who refuses or neglects to repay the bettor, immediately on demand, any money received by the bookmaker in connection with a bet made contrary to any provision of this Act, the regulations or the Rules of Betting prescribed, commits an offence.

        [Section 31 inserted by No. 11 of 1992 s. 54; amended by No. 63 of 1995 s. 83; No. 17 of 1998 s. 23; No. 13 of 2002 s. 24; No. 35 of 2003 s. 95 and 102.]