Heavy fine for illegal machine supplier
Press release
Date: 14
September 2010
An illegal supplier of gaming machines has been fined a total of
£16,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 in costs following a successful
Gambling Commission prosecution.
Marc Darren Bird, aged 38 of Coventry, had already been found
guilty of eight counts of making gaming machines available for use
and eight counts of supplying and maintaining gaming machines
without an operating licence at Birmingham Magistrates Court in
January 2009. An earlier appeal against the conviction was
abandoned in August this year following a ruling of the Divisional
Court in March.
Bird was fined £16,000 (£1000 for each of the 16 counts) and the
Court ordered forfeiture of eight gaming machines
and that Bird pay £10,000 towards the Commission’s costs. The
Commission was also awarded £947.50 cash proceeds from the cash
boxes of the forfeited gaming machines. On the application of
the Commission, under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, confiscation
proceedings have now been commenced against Bird.
Nick Tofiluk, Director of Regulation at the Gambling Commission
said:
“Tackling the illegal supply of gaming machines remains a
priority for the Gambling Commission and this sentence sends out a
warning to illegal operators who seek to benefit at the expense of
both the general public and responsible licensed machine
suppliers.
“Businesses supplying or making gaming machines available for
use without a licence risk action from the Commission or its
co-regulators.”
Under the Gambling Act 2005, anyone engaged in the supply,
installation and maintenance of gaming machines must be properly
licensed by the Gambling Commission.
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 licensed machine
suppliers is updated daily and published on the Commission's
website at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk.
Ends.
Notes to editors
The Gambling Commission
- 1. The Gambling Commission (the Commission) regulates gambling
in the public interest alongside its co-regulators local licensing
authorities. It does so by keeping crime out of gambling, by
ensuring that gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and by
protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or
exploited by gambling. The Commission also provides independent
advice to government on gambling in Britain.
- 2. The Commission and local licensing authorities
are responsible for licensing and regulating all gambling in
Great Britain other than the National Lottery and spread betting,
which are the responsibility of the National Lottery Commission and
the Financial Services Authority (FSA) respectively.
- 3. A number of investigations of suspected illegal
machine supply have been pursued leading to three criminal
prosecutions, seven criminal cautions with a number of previously
unlicensed suppliers being required to get a licence.
- 4. Full details of operating licence requirements can be
found in the machines
sector of the website.
- 5. Previous press releases related to this case can be
found in the news
section of the website dated January 2009 and March 2010.
Further information
- You can call John Travers on (0121) 230 6700, (07852) 124624 or
email him via communications@gamblingcommission.gov.uk.