Five figure bill for illegal supplier as Commission turns the screw on unlicensed gaming machine businesses
Following the conviction of an illegal supplier of gaming machines, the Gambling Commission (the Commission) has once more warned that it will prosecute those who persist in supplying gaming machines illegally.
The warning follows the successful prosecution under section 242(1) of the Gambling Act 2005, at Bootle Magistrates' Court this week. The court found Peter Croome, aged 32 of Southport, guilty of 24 counts of making gaming machines available for use without an operating licence.
The court imposed a fine of £2,700 as well as awarding £10,000 costs to the Commission. The court also ordered that £2,130 seized from Peter Croome to be forfeit along with 20 gaming machines - all of which will be destroyed.
Following the case the Commission's Director of Regulation, Nick Tofiluk, said:
"It's in everyone's interest to put a stop to the illegal supply of gaming machines which benefits criminals at a cost to both society at large and the legitimate gambling industry.
"This case demonstrates the Commission’s determination to pursue those who supply illegal gaming machines and shows that we will use our prosecution powers when necessary."
Operators of businesses who have any doubt about the legality of where a gaming machine is sited, or have suspicions about gaming machines that have been offered to them, can contact the Commission in confidence on 0121 230 6655. A register of machine suppliers licensed by the Commission is updated daily and published on the Commission's website.
Challenging year for gambling industry and the regulator
The Gambling Commission has published its Annual report and accounts for 2009/10.
The Commission’s focus for the year has been on working with the industry, local authorities, the police and others in developing the 2005 Gambling Act regulatory regime to make it more effective while less burdensome. This has involved:
- developing the Commission’s risk-based approach to priority setting, concentrating on issues and operators with regional and national impact
- building up its and the industry’s knowledge base in the practical implications of the Gambling Act 2005
- working with local authorities and the police, clarifying roles and minimising duplication
- testing the degree of compliance, for example through test purchasing
- improving the information available to operators and consumers
- working with the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, the Responsible Gambling Fund and others to implement a more strategic and effective approach to research, education and treatment of problem gamblers.
The Commission also worked closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on two major policy initiatives - remote gambling regulation and the Parry review of sports betting integrity. From the latter, the Commission has implemented one of the main recommendations of the Parry report in setting up a Sports Betting Intelligence Unit.
”Like the industry, we have not escaped the impact of the recession,” said Brian Pomeroy, the Commission’s Chairman.
“Consolidation, contraction and closures within the industry, as well as some operators moving offshore have reduced our expected fee income. With no fee increase this year, we have cut staff and expenditure accordingly - by £1.3 million against the previous year.
“The next 12 months will be even more challenging with pressure to become more effective. For example, to combat sports betting corruption and other types of illegal gambling while reducing the overall cost of regulation, and working with the National Lottery Commission on the proposed merger.”
The Commission is an independent body funded in the main by licence fees paid by the gambling industry but set by the Secretary of State and approved by Parliament. All of its regulatory activity is funded by licence fee income.
You can download the Commission’s 2009/10 annual report and accounts from its website.
Further machine seizures as fight against illegal supply continues
The Gambling Commission (the Commission) again played its part in a joint operation as four gaming machines were seized from a single unnamed premises in Manchester.
The machines, which offered prizes of between £25 - £250, were sited without permits or AMLD licences and will now be destroyed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The unpaid duty on the four machines was at least £650. In addition, the businesses involved will be required to pay a penalty of £250 for each one to HMRC. The Commission’s enquiries into the source of the supply continue.
The Commission has conducted a number of joint operations with HMRC and local authorities since it launched a nationwide drive targeting illegal suppliers of gaming machines in September 2008. In three recent similar operations, four gaming machines were seized in Bolton, ten in Liverpool and six in North Yorkshire.
The Commission’s Regional Compliance Manager for the North West, Alan Green said:
“Businesses supplying or making gaming machines available for use without a licence risk action from the Commission or its co-regulators.
“This is a further example of effective co-regulation tackling operators offering gambling outside of the law.”
HMRC spokesperson, Martin Mcdonnell, said:
“These machines will now be destroyed. We estimate that the unpaid amusement machine licence duty on these machines will be over £5,000. In addition, the businesses concerned will also have to pay a penalty of £250 for each unlicensed machine.
"There are many business owners who are genuinely not aware that it is not just as simple as buying a gaming machine and setting it up. We urge people to make sure they only deal with suppliers who are properly licensed by the Gambling Commission.”
Manufacturers and suppliers of gaming machines must be licensed by the Commission and businesses can see a list of licensed operators at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk. Anyone with information regarding the illegal supply of gaming machines should contact the Commission’s new confidential intelligence line on (0121) 230 6655.
Commission tightens grip on illegal machine supply
The Gambling Commission (the Commission) again played its part in a joint operation as ten gaming machines were seized from two unnamed premises in Liverpool.
The machines (Category B4 and C) which were sited without permits or AMLD licences will now be destroyed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the businesses involved will be required to pay a penalty of £250 for each one to HMRC. The unpaid duty on the ten machines was approximately £1200. In addition, £1,100 in cash was seized by HMRC from inside the machines. The Commission’s enquiries into the source of the supply continue.
The Commission has conducted a number of joint operations with HMRC and local authorities since it launched a nationwide drive targeting illegal suppliers of gaming machines in September 2008. Last month, in a similar operation, four gaming machines were seized from premises in Bolton.
The Commission’s Regional Compliance Manager for the North West, Alan Green, said:
“Businesses supplying or making gaming machines available for use without a licence
risk action from the Commission or its co-regulators.
“The Commission supports the actions of HMRC, Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police in tackling the illegal supply of gaming machines locally which contributes to our ongoing work at a regional and national level.”
HMRC spokesman, Martin McDonnell said:
“There are many business owners who are genuinely unaware that it is not just as simple as buying a gaming machine and setting it up. Unscrupulous suppliers can exploit that lack of awareness, so we would urge businesses to make sure they only deal with suppliers who are properly licensed by the Gambling Commission.”
Manufacturers and suppliers of gaming machines must be licensed by the Commission and businesses can see a list of licensed operators at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk. Anyone with information regarding the illegal supply of gaming machines should contact the Commission’s new confidential intelligence line on (0121) 230 6655.
World Cup bets are fair and safe with licensed operators
At the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Gambling Commission (the Commission) is reminding punters to ensure their bet is fair and safe with a licensed betting operator.
The reminder comes in the same week that the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) distributed guidelines to help betting operators avoid disputes during the tournament and published a complementary guide for punters on their website at www.ibas-uk.com.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup is expected to be one of the largest sports betting events ever for British-based operators. All licensed betting operators must make their rules available to customers and have a written complaints procedure including a third party dispute resolution service such as IBAS in place.
All premises-based betting operators in Britain must be licensed by the Commission. Advice on betting on the internet is available from our quick guide What to look out for when gambling online - November 2008 which is available at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk.
The Commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Julia Mackisack said:
“The World Cup is likely to attract new customers to betting. People should ensure they use an operator who they can rely on to have adequate standards in place.
“Disputes can arise, especially where extra time is played and whilst customers are advised to check on the rules before betting, all operators licensed by the Gambling Commission must have a complaints procedure in place to give customers a fair deal.”
British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010
The British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS) 2010 is the third nationally representative survey of participation in gambling and the prevalence of problem gambling in Great Britain. It builds on the two previous gambling prevalence surveys (published in 2000 and 2007).
The BGPS 2010 collects a wide range of gambling related data to inform policy development. In particular it:
- measures the prevalence of participation in all forms of commercial and private gambling
- estimates the prevalence of problem gambling
- investigates factors associated with gambling and explores contextual elements, such as attitudes to gambling and what motivates people to gamble
- where appropriate provides comparisons between pre- and post-implementation of the Gambling Act 2005
- identifies a population of gamblers who could be invited to participate in future research
The findings of the BGPS will be used by the Commission to help develop policy for the regulation of gambling and to advise the Secretary of State on gambling issues. It will also provide information on gambling to the industry, problem gambling charities and other key stakeholders.
Cross-sectional research, such as the prevalence survey, cannot generally be used to investigate causal relationships, for example to explain what causes problem gambling. However, it can be used to provide insight into range of issues, including a better understanding of people’s gambling behaviour and their attitudes towards gambling.
The BGPS is conducted by the National Centre for Social Research, in collaboration with gambling experts Dr Rachel Volberg, Professor Mark Griffiths and Professor Jim Orford.
The fieldwork of the BGPS 2010 was completed in early summer. A sample of over 7,500 respondents was achieved. The peer reviewed BGPS report will be published around the turn of the year, in February 2011. Full data set of the survey will be made available in the UK Data Archive in spring 2011.