Consultation Paper No.1 2021 - Social & Charitable Gambling

The Jersey Gambling Commission

The Jersey Gambling Commission is a statutory body corporate established under the Commission Law. It is responsible for the general supervision of gambling, including in particular, (i) supervision of providers of gambling services, and (ii) investigation of whether any person is complying with, contravening, or committing an offence under an enactment relating to gambling.

Guiding Principles

The Commission must, in the performance of all of its functions, have regard to the principles that any gambling services provided:

• should be conducted responsibly and with safeguards necessary to protect children and vulnerable people;

• should be regulated in accordance with generally accepted international standards to prevent fraud and money laundering, and should not be permitted to be a source of crime;

• and should be verifiably fair to consumers of those services.
  The Jersey Gambling Commission invites comments on this consultation paper. Comments

  should reach the Commission by 9th November 2021.

  Responses should be sent to:

  Consultation 1
  Jersey Gambling Commission 4th Floor Osprey House
  5-7 Old St
  St Helier
  JE2 3RG

  Office Email info@jgc.je Office Line 01534 828540

  If there is any part of the consultation that you wish to discuss prior to making a decision regarding a submission then please use one of the contacts listed above.

The Commission is issuing this consultation in accordance with Article 5(4) of the Gambling Commission (Consultation on Codes of Practice) (Jersey) Order 2011, namely

(4) An...amendment of a code is significant if, in the opinion of the Commission, it would significantly alter the effect of the code on –

1. (a)  any burden imposed on providers of gambling services; or

2. (b)  any protection afforded to consumers of gambling services.

The consultation is directed in particular charities, societies and clubs that have had experience of holding a Registration and Permit issued by the Commission. The consultation will be published on the Commission’s website. Responses are also welcomed from other stakeholders, interest groups and the public.

Background

Jersey charities wishing to raise funds through gambling based events usually have to apply to the Commission for a Registration or Permit (this is dependent on the value of prizes). Until recently, the Commission allowed ticket sales to only take place in person as the most certain means of checking that the ticket purchaser is not under the age of 18.

In March 2020, at the start of Covid-19 Pandemic, Jersey went into a lockdown and most of the charities had to suspend their fundraising events, such as lotteries and therefore experienced a loss of income.

With wide access to the internet and new computer software, more activities have moved online or remote purchase has become an option, and the provision of lottery tickets from commercial operators is no exception to this cultural shift.

The Current Situation

At the time of writing this Consultation, the Covid-19 pandemic has endured for a year and a half. Charities have tried to devise different ways of running their fundraising events with the least amount of contact between people in order to prevent the spread of the disease. As fundraising through lotteries is one of the main sources of income, the best option during times of social distancing was to sell their tickets is through an online platform. This method of ticket purchase is evidently here to stay and the Commission must adapt its policies and codes to reflect this reality.

As the restrictions introduced to deal the pandemic are eased, many charities will still want to sell lottery tickets online. Online sales can reach a much wider Jersey audience, the method removes, for instance, time and place restrictions e.g. a person selling tickets that can only be bought from 10am to closing in the Central Market. The provision of selling tickets online may also help with the charities audit trails as record keeping is paramount to ensure a successful promotion.