Seizures form part of ongoing investigation

Press release

Date: 21 May 2010

The Gambling Commission (the Commission) has seized gaming machine equipment and other assets from ten premises at locations in London, the south east and the south midlands.

More than forty Commission compliance and enforcement officers took part in the co-ordinated programme of seizures as part of an ongoing investigation into the suspected illegal provision of facilities to gamble under sections 33, 37, 242 and 243 of the Gambling Act 2005. The seizures took place on Wednesday 19 May and related to premises operated by Agora Bet Ltd.

No further comment will be made at this stage. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Commission’s confidential intelligence line on 0121 230 6655.

Ends

Notes to editors

The Gambling Commission

  1. 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. 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. 3. The subject of this operation, Agora Bet Ltd, is a separate legal entity from Frankice (Golders Green) Ltd (Operating Licence 2287), Leisure World (UK) Ltd (Operating Licence 2223) and Caesar’s World Ltd (Operating Licence 2228) all of which are currently in administration.  

Further information

  1. You can call John Travers on (0121) 230 6700, (07852) 124624 or email him via communications@gamblingcommission.gov.uk.