Bookmaker’s Licence and Bookmaking Office Licence
The Horse Racing (Northern Ireland) Order 1990 states:
"(1) There shall be paid to the Department for the benefit of the Fund—
(a) by every person, other than a person to whom sub-paragraph (b) applies, who intends to apply under Article 8 or Article 16 of the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985(1) for the grant or renewal of a bookmaker’s licence; and
(b) by every person who intends to apply under Article 12 or Article 18 of that Order of 1985 for the grant or renewal of a bookmaking office licence or under Article 14 of that Order of 1985 to have the provisional grant of a bookmaking office licence declared final in respect of each office licence,
a charge of such amount as the Department, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel and after consultation with such organisations as appear to the Department to substantially represent the interests of bookmakers, may specify by order made subject to affirmative resolution.
(2) The Department shall issue a receipt to every person who pays a charge under paragraph (1)."
The Horse Racing (Northern Ireland) Order 1990 is available here:
The Horse Racing (Charges on Bookmakers) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010 is available here:
Current rates
The current rates are detailed in the Horse Racing (Charges on Bookmakers) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010:
| Licence type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Bookmaker’s Licence | £99 |
| Bookmaking Office Licence | £1,123 |
Payments
Bookmakers, or their representatives, can now make their annual payments in to the HRF online.
How to make a payment to the HRF
To make a payment you will need:
- Sterling Bank card (with a sufficient limit for the transaction);
- Name and Address (including post code) of Payee;
- Email address and contact number for Payee. The contact number for the Payee should be registered in the United Kingdom;
- Forename, Surname (and where applicable, Company name) and Address (including postcode) of each bookmaker paying in to the Fund;
- Licence type for each bookmaker.
When you first access the payment system you will need to register with Northern Ireland Civil Service Identity Assurance (NIDA) or Government Gateway, unless you have previously registered with them for another service. If you have previously signed in with either NIDA or Government Gateway, you may use your current password and ID number, as applicable.
Please note that GOV.UK Pay has a maximum limit set on any individual payment of £100,000. If you exceed this limit, you may split your payment.
When you log in to the payments system you will find further guidance is provided.
To make a payment click here:
https://www2.daera-ni.gov.uk/horseracingfund/
Contact details
If you have any queries regarding the HRF or paying into the Fund, please contact:
Horse Racing Fund (HRF)Agri-Food Policy 1 Branch
DAERA
Room 918, Dundonald House
Upper Newtownards Road
Ballymiscaw
BELFAST, BT4 3SB Email: agri-foodpolicy1@daera-ni.gov.uk
Closed consultations
Public consultation on the Horse Racing (Charges on Bookmakers) Order (NI) 2016
Further engagement on the Horse Racing (Charges on Bookmakers) Order