COMMENT & OPINION


Are you on the right track?


Race nights are legal – but there are some rules Green Energy Partners offers a free energy audit through its website. Put your energy


MORE and more hospitality operators are reviewing their business’s energy consumption, with positive results for the environment and their business. The top priorities to consider are the ‘three Cs’: cost cutting, compliance and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Looking firstly at cost cutting, there are a number of straightforward ways hospitality businesses can save money by reducing energy consumption. For instance leaving lights on in an empty room can add up to a sizeable and unnecessary expense over time. So lighting should be one of the first areas reviewed as it usually accounts for around 40% of energy costs.


It is also almost certain that you will be able to cut your heating bill. The first step is to look at how you manage space in your business premises; you might find you are heating an area which is rarely used by customers or staff. It’s also worthwhile to make sure that your heating system controls and timers are set accurately, otherwise your heating could be a source of wasted energy and unnecessary expense. If you have a hotel with a swimming pool, you will know that maintaining the temperature of the pool at the right level can be an expensive business. But there are ways to cut back on costs here too. Just by putting on a pool cover, you can save 15% off the cost of heating the pool and


12 - SLTN - November 11, 2010


RACE nights have been popular for years. I was at one recently, however,


into cutting costs Reducing energy consumption needn’t be complicated, writes Glyn Mountford, a director of Green Energy Partners


ventilating the surrounding area.


Any business, no matter how large or small, must improve awareness of energy consumption. Ensure staff know how important it is to be aware of energy consumption and to save energy wherever possible. You can use posters, ‘switch-off’ stickers, screen savers and intranet systems to communicate the message and make sure it is highlighted in staff newsletters and team briefings.


I would also add that


there is a fourth ‘C’, which is another reason for reducing energy consumption. More and more customers are taking ‘green’ credentials into consideration when they choose where to eat, drink, stay overnight, or book conferences and corporate events. It’s an opportunity to gain competitive advantage. Finally, the government’s Carbon Reduction Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRCEES), which was introduced this year, currently affects only the biggest businesses, both private and public sector organisations, which must comply with the scheme requirements. However, there is every possibility that the government will reduce the threshold over the coming years to include smaller businesses too, so it is never too soon to look at ways of improving the energy efficiency and management procedures in your business.


where it was clear the operator had no idea what form of race night he was running and, therefore, whether it was legal. The term ‘race night’ is typi-


cally used to describe an event where pre-recorded footage of horse or dog races are shown and patrons gamble accord- ingly. Race nights are legal, but only


where they are facilitated in one of three ways: 1) an ‘incidental non-commercial lottery’; 2) ‘non-commercial prize gam- ing’; or 3) ‘non-commercial equal chance gaming’. These legalistic terms perhaps require some explanation. • Lottery race nights Here all tickets must be bought on the night, at the premises where the event is held. Buying a lottery ticket entitles you to be given a horse and your horse should be selected at random. The racing must be an inciden- tal activity to the main purpose of the event. There is no limit to the ticket price or the amount of tickets that can be bought, but no more than £500 of the proceeds can be used for the winnings (which could be cash or prizes). £100 may be taken from the proceeds to cover ex-


Stephen McGowan penses.


• Gaming race nights A race night can be run as


prize gaming, or equal chance gaming. Three main rules ap- ply to both: 1) the gambling must take place at a non-com- mercial event; 2) an event is deemed non-commercial if the proceeds raised from the gam- bling are not for private gain; 3) the organiser of the event is allowed to deduct reasonable expenses but all other proceeds must go to the purpose other than private gain. There are further rules as to


whether the race night is prize gaming or equal chance gam- ing.


In the case of prize gaming, Letter to the editor


Dear sir, I write with regard to your arti- cle ‘ministers move to fill securi- ty void’ (SLTN October 28 page one) and comments contained therein by Russel Kerr, manag- ing director of SecuriGroup. I think that most people in the security industry within the licensed trade would regard the SIA and its badging scheme a failure.


At the time of implementa- tion, Scotland, unlike England, had licensing boards and ex- tremely proactive licensing of- ficers who ensured that, in gen- eral terms, security in licensed premises was not a sea of thugs and drug dealers. By contrast, England licensed premises through magistrates, and licensees, in general, had little or no contact with licens-


ing officers.


The standard of stewards within the licensed trade was, therefore, poorer than in Scot- land, leading to steward wars in various cities. The implementation of the


badge requirement meant that the Scottish industry lost many excellent part-time stewards – people who wanted a job to save money for special occa- sions and others who joined the industry for a short period, such as students who used work in the security industry to fund their degree. A £245 badge cost for a part- time steward is absurd, as is the 28-hour training requirement, which doesn’t include a first- aid element – an opportunity missed.


I am sure the police would


agree that problems emanating from security staff within the licensed trade in Scotland have not decreased significantly fol- lowing the implementation of the SIA.


This is because Scotland, un-


like England, was already sub- ject to control by police and licensing boards and had a well-managed security indus- try within the trade. The core objective of the SIA


was to take criminality out of the security industry. In this it has failed miserably. I trust Mr McAskill or the jus- tice minister responsible for any new system will seek to take a broad consensus of opinions as to what is required prior to im- plementing any new system. Yours sincerely, Eddie Tobin


participants win specific prizes, which must be advertised in ad- vance and allocated to a certain race on the card. Players will be given or choose a horse, and if that horse wins the race then they win the prize. There is no maximum as to what players must pay to ‘back’ the horse. Players therefore ‘gamble’ by paying to back a specific horse in advance. Players must be told in advance which purpose the proceeds are going to. In equal chance gaming race nights, players do not pick their own horse but are given one at random on payment of their stake; if the horse comes in, they win the prize allocated. The maximum a person can gamble is £8 per day and the maximum amount which can be paid out across all players is £600. If the event is one in a series of events, then the maxi- mum amount which can be paid out in the final event rises to £900. A final word on young people


at race nights: presuming your operating plan allows children’s access, it is – perhaps surpris- ingly – completely legal for any- one under 18 to participate and gamble in any of these charity race nights. • Stephen McGowan is a licens- ing solicitor at Lindsays.


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