Gambling - Prosecution of business owners for illegally operating with gaming machines

Both the London Borough of Islington and London Borough of Haringey have obtained successful prosecutions in recent weeks against business owners for illegally operating with gaming machines on their premises.

In April and December of last year the London Borough of Islington with assistance from the Metropolitan Police seized illegally sited gaming machines in an unlicensed club. As there were two separate offences the Authority decided to prosecute.

Further, the machines in question were of a Category B type with various games including roulette and not just the standard two Category C or D machines as allowed by way of Notification in licensed premises.

Appearing before the Highbury Corner Magistrates Court in May the owner pleaded guilty to two offences under the Gambling Act 2005 s37 (1)(c) Use of premises - making gaming machines available for use.

The sentence handed down was a fine of £1,000 for the offences, £600 in costs and surcharges and a forfeiture order was made including for the machines and money contained therein.

In the case involving the London Borough of Haringey, again with assistance from the Metropolitan Police but also this time supported by the Gambling Commission, gaming machines were seized from premises in November which were illegally operating in a snooker club. As in the Islington case the owner of the premises was caught operating with illegal machines on two separate occasions and therefore it was decided to prosecute. Again the machines were of a type similar to Category B gaming machines.

Appearing before the Tottenham Magistrates Court in April he pleaded guilty to offences under the Gambling Act 2005, s37 (1)(c) Use of premises - making gaming machines available for use and s242 (1)(a) making a gaming machine available for use. The sentence on that occasion being a fine of £2,500 for the offences, £1,423 in costs and surcharges and a forfeiture order in respect of the machines.