Putting a quiz together

People run quizzes in pubs, classrooms, village halls and clubs. Some are for fun. Some raise money or carry a prize. Once there is a prize or a music round, a few rules come into play.

A quiz with a prize

In Great Britain, prize competitions come under the Gambling Act 2005. The Gambling Commission says a prize competition is one where the result depends on the entrants' skill, judgement or knowledge.

The Commission says the organisers must be able to show that the skill, knowledge or judgement needed will:

The Commission says multiple choice questions, or questions that give a second chance after a wrong answer, "rarely meet this criteria".

The Commission says no licence or permission is needed to run a prize competition that meets the requirements of the Act. If it does not meet them, the Commission says the organiser may be running an illegal lottery. Under section 14 of the Act, a simple lottery is one where people pay to take part and the prizes go by chance. The Commission says anyone unsure should seek legal advice.

A music round

GOV.UK says people usually need a licence to play recorded music in public, and that includes pubs, bars and social clubs. It says the licence is called "TheMusicLicence".

GOV.UK says playing live or recorded music in public without a licence infringes copyright. It also says no licence is needed to play royalty free music.

Copyright in written questions

GOV.UK says copyright protects original written work automatically, with no need to apply. It says copyright stops other people copying the work, or putting it on the internet, without permission.

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