We are Meeron Limited, whose registered office is at Lexham House, 75 High Street North, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 1JF (we, us, Meeron).

We are licenced by the Gambling Commission and organise games of bingo for participating licensed bingo clubs.

These are the Meeron Linked Game Players’ Rules issued by Meeron in November 2020. 

Unless otherwise stated by the Calling Club, these rules apply to the playing of linked games of bingo organised by us and played under the Gambling Act 2005. 

These rules supersede and replace all prior versions of the Player Rules issued by us for the playing of linked games of bingo.

In these rules, where we refer to you, we mean each person who buys a ticket to play the Game and your shall be interpreted accordingly.

The club from where you play the Game will also have its own arrangements and rules applicable to your attendance at the club and the playing of other games in club and the purchase of tickets to play bingo.  These rules cover the playing of the Game in all clubs and supersede any house rules that might otherwise apply to the playing of games of bingo in your club. However, they do not affect any other arrangements or agreement between you and your club including those for the sale and purchase of tickets to play the Game.

Players should always gamble responsibly and play the Game within their limits. For more information and advice visit www.begambleaware.org.

1   Definitions and interpretation

1.1   In these Players’ Rules the following words shall have the following meanings:

Calling Club: the participating club from time to time designated by Meeron to:

(i)   to call the numbers which are to be used by all participating clubs in the playing of a Game;

(ii)   open and close the Game; and

(iii)   declare the winners subject to the other provisions of these rules.

Claim: means a claim made by a player that his or her Ticket is a winning Ticket that entitles him or her to receive a prize on that playing of the National Game.

Club Manager: the persons with overall responsibility for the day to day operation of the club at which you are playing and / or any members of staff at that club appointed to perform management functions.  Members of Club Management may include one or more club manager from time to time.

EBT means the electronic bingo terminal on which you may play the Game.

Electronic Ticket: means an electronic ticket approved by Meeron for use in the playing of the Game using an EBT.

Game: means each linked game of bingo organised by Meeron.  The Game is a full house game of bingo but may be offered for a different game configuration specified by Meeron.

Paper Ticket: means a paper ticket approved by Meeron for use in the playing of the Game.

Ticket: means a Paper Ticket and / or an Electronic Ticket, depending on the context.

2   Minimum Age to play

You must be at least 18 years old to play the Game.

3   GAME

The Game is played live for the prize or prizes that are offered by Meeron on that playing.  The Calling Club will announce the available prize(s) and the win criteria.

4   Tickets

4.1   The Game can only be played with Tickets approved for use by Meeron.  Depending on the policies of the club at which you are playing, you may play with only Paper Tickets or with only Electronic Tickets or with both. 

4.2   The Ticket price includes an amount known as the participation fee and the stake. 

4.3   You must not damage or deface any Paper Tickets that you wish to play with and before play of the Game commences you must check that the security and serial numbers on each Paper Ticket are clearly legible.  Your club will replace any damaged or defaced Paper Tickets at any time before the sale of Tickets for that Game has closed.

4.4   If a player makes a Claim on a damaged or defaced Ticket, Meeron will have final discretion to decide whether that Ticket is eligible for a prize.

4.5   As soon as the opening and closing Ticket details are displayed or announced at your club, you should check that the serial numbers on each of your Paper Tickets are within the sequence shown.  If you are playing with an EBT you should check that it appears to be operating properly.  If you encounter a problem with either you should immediately contact a member of staff at your club and return the Paper Tickets or the EBT before playing of that Game commences.

5   PRIZES

5.1   The club from where you play the Game will:

5.1.1   display and/or announce:

(a)   win criteria for all available prizes offered on that playing of the Game; and

(b)   an estimate of how much the prizes will be for that playing of the Game, but subject to Rule 5.3.

5.2   If there is more than one winning Ticket for a prize and unless Meeron have notified your club otherwise, the prize will be shared by the holders of the winning Tickets equally.

5.3   Should a participating club fail to complete the playing of a Game, the available prizes will be adjusted accordingly. 

5.4   If you are playing the Game for a one line and on checking the Claim it is found that you have completed two lines, you will only win the one-line prize.  To win the two-line prize, at least one additional call number must be generated and as always, the last number called must be on the winning Ticket.  This also applies to two-line prizes where a full house has been completed due to a previous missed claim.

6   PLAYING THE GAME

6.1   Paper Tickets: If you are playing with a paper Ticket you must mark off the numbers called in such a way that it can be easily checked.  It is essential that you do not obscure the serial number, perm number / plate number on the Ticket.  Circles, the use of dabbers or underlining are recommended markings.

6.2   Electronic Tickets:  EBTs must be operated in accordance with the user instructions and any directions given in your club so that it will properly mark off the numbers called on the display.

6.3   The numbers to be called on each playing of the Game are generated by the Calling Club from a random sequence of numbers and are called by the Calling Club. 

6.4   Once the Calling Club has started to call the first syllable of a number, the calling of that number will be completed and that number becomes the last number called. 

6.5   Occasionally there is a discrepancy between a number actually called and a number which should have been called.  If this situation arises your club should stop the playing of that Game.

6.6   If the playing of a Game is required to be stopped, your club must take a decision to either continue with a house game or refund the Ticket price for the disrupted Game.  If your club decides to continue with a house game Rule 8 will apply. No further compensation payments are available for the failure to complete any Game.

6.7   If you believe you have a Claim it is your responsibility to immediately stop the playing of that Game at your club.  You should do this by calling out audibly.  On hearing a call for a Claim, your club should stop play while your Ticket is checked.  Please note that you will lose any right to claim that prize if you fail to have the playing of that Game stopped before the caller has started to call the next number.   

7   MAKING A CLAIM TO A PRIZE

7.1   All Claims to be a winner of any prize offered on the Game are subject to scrutiny and verification by your club and by Meeron.  Any dispute as to whether a Claim was validly made or whether a Ticket is valid is subject to Meeron’s Complaints Procedure provided for in Rule 10 below.

7.2   In order to have a Claim checked you must make your winning Ticket or the EBT on which you made your winning Claim available to the Club Manager.  The Club Manager will inspect the Ticket to ascertain that it is not damaged or to ensure that the EBT is working.  Even if the Club Manager has indicated that a Claim is valid, that Claim and the Ticket or EBT on which the Claim was made will be subject to further scrutiny by Meeron under Rule 7.9.

7.3   Having made a Claim, the Calling Club will check whether that Claim is valid.  If the Calling Club considers, for any reason, that a Claim is invalid or that there is a basis for dispute as to the validity of the Claim, it shall cause the playing of that Game to be re-opened and the calling of the numbers to continue until there are one or more subsequent Claims.

7.4   Winners of a prize must hand over the winning Ticket(s) to the Club Manager of the club where the prize was won so that the Ticket can be inspected. 

7.5   On handing over his or her Ticket to the Club Manager the player should obtain an official receipt for the Ticket (whether it is a paper Ticket or an electronic Ticket).

7.6   If more than one Claim is made for a prize and it transpires that a duplicate Ticket (either paper or electronic) has been issued, then, in the absence of dishonesty on the part of a player, the relevant prize will be paid in full to all winning Tickets.  If your club suspects dishonesty, the relevant prize may be withheld from the player who your club suspects may have acted dishonestly.

7.7   Subject always to Rule 7.9, prizes won on the playing of the Game, will generally be paid by the club where the successful Claim was made at the end of the Game session.  However, larger cash prizes or if applicable, non-cash prizes, may be awarded at a later date.  Your club will explain the process at the time of your win. 

7.8   Players must be over 18 years of age to play the Game and may be required to provide evidence to prove his or her age as a condition of receiving a prize.  Such evidence can be an original passport or a driving licence with photo-card or other form of photographic identification acceptable to the Club Manager.

7.9   All Claims and winning Tickets may be subject to additional scrutiny and verification by Meeron which Meeron will undertake within 14 days after the playing of the relevant Game.  In determining the validity of any Claim or any Ticket Meeron will follow a fair procedure so that:

7.9.1   Meeron will perform its own inspection of the winning Ticket and consider any information about the Claim provided to it by the Club Manager;

7.9.2   If Meeron is minded to reject a Claim (even one in which a prize has been paid), it will write to the player in question informing him or her of any issues observed and inviting him or her to provide comments to Meeron in writing within 7 days of receipt of the letter;

7.9.3   Provided Meeron receives comments in writing from the player within such 7 day period, Meeron will give due consideration to those comments in reaching its final decision;

7.9.4   Meeron will issue its final decision within 28 days of the Game being played;

7.9.5   Meeron may withhold the payment of any prizes while a Claim is being investigated under this Rule 7.9;

7.9.6   If within the 28 day period referred to in Rule 7.9.4, Meeron concludes that a prize was won on an invalid Claim, it may require you to forfeit and /or repay that prize within 28 days.

7.9.7   Meeron’s decision will be binding on the player, subject to your rights under Rule 10.

8   PROBLEMS

8.1   Occasionally, because of circumstances beyond the reasonable control of Meeron or the club that you are playing at (including, without limitation, acts of God, technical problems or equipment failure), we may consider it necessary to cancel, abandon or interrupt the playing of a Game. 

8.2   In these circumstances, the Club Manager may choose to play a house game instead of the Game using all the money collected at that club as stake on the Ticket(s) sold on the Game that was cancelled, abandoned or interrupted.  The house game will be played under the club’s house rules and will not be subject to these Player Rules.

9   REDUCED LIABILITY OF MEERON

9.1   Subject to Rule 8.2:

9.1.1   If you win a prize on the playing of the Game, neither Meeron nor the club from where you purchased the winning Ticket is liable for more than the cash equivalent value of the prize(s) that Meeron determine to have been actually won on that Ticket;

9.1.2   if a Game is cancelled, abandoned or interrupted for any reason the total liability of both Meeron and the club who sold you the Ticket shall not together exceed the price you paid for your Tickets to play that Game.

9.1.3   neither Meeron nor any club shall be liable to any person for any unforeseen or indirect loss or damage (including damage to reputation, loss of profit or consequential loss or damage) arising from the playing of the Game by you; and

9.1.4   neither Meeron nor any club shall have any liability to any person for any loss, charge, costs, expenses or other claims for compensation arising out of a player’s failure to comply with these Players’ Rules.

9.2   Nothing in these Players’ Rules shall limit any liability which cannot legally be limited including, without limitation:

9.2.1   the liability of Meeron or any club for death or personal injury caused by negligence;

9.2.2   fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation or

9.2.3   other rights available to you as a consumer.

9.3   No variation to these Player’s Rules is effective unless it is in writing and is displayed at the club your Ticket was purchased from before the sale of Tickets begins for the playing of the Game in question.

10   COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

10.1   We hope you do not have cause to complain about the operation of the Game but if you do, you should first try to resolve the matter informally with the Club Manager of the club at the time.  If the Club Manager is unable to resolve the matter to your satisfaction, you may escalate your complaint to Meeron by emailing info@nationalbingo.co.uk or by writing to Meeron at Lexham House, 75 High Street North, Dunstable, Beds LU6 1JF who will endeavour to resolve the dispute within 14 days of receipt of your complaint.  If neither the Club Manager nor Meeron have been able to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may further escalate the complaint to an independent dispute resolution provider, details of which are available from Meeron or from your Club Manager or at www.ibas-uk.com.

11   MISCELLANEOUS

11.1   Where Meeron is required to exercise its discretion over any matter under these Players’ Rules, it shall exercise that discretion reasonably and in good faith.  If you are not satisfied at the outcome of Meeron’s decision you should exercise your rights under the Complaints Procedure explained at Rule 10.

11.2   Meeron will only use any personal information provided by or about you for the purpose of organising and administering the Game or for crime prevention purposes.

11.3   Nothing in these Players’ Rules gives any right to any third party to enforce any provision under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 or otherwise.

11.4   These Players’ Rules are subject to English law.

November 2020