The UK's Gambling Commission played its part in a joint operation as 10 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 and Customs and the businesses involved will be required to pay a penalty of £250 for each one to HMRC. The unpaid duty on the 10 machines was approximately £1,200. In addition, £1,100 in cash was seized by HMRC from inside the machines.
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 added: “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.”
