Asset recovery hits illegal supplier for further £30,000
Press release
Date: 20 January 2011
A convicted illegal supplier of gaming
machines faces a total bill of more than £50,000 after a
confiscation hearing in Warwick Crown Court – the first
confiscation order made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in
relation to a Gambling Commission (the Commission)
investigation.
The court granted a confiscation order for
£30,000 against Marc Darren Bird, aged 38 of Coventry. This is in
addition to fines and costs of nearly £27,000, awarded against him
last September under the Gambling Act 2005.
In January 2009 Bird was found guilty of eight counts of making
‘Joker Poker’ gaming machines available for use and eight counts of
supplying and maintaining gaming machines without an operating
licence at Birmingham Magistrates Court. An appeal against the
conviction was abandoned in August 2010 following a ruling of the
Divisional Court in March of that year.
The financial investigation which led to
granting of the order was conducted by the Commission in
partnership with asset recovery experts at the Regional Asset
Recovery Team (RART) West Midlands.
Nick Tofiluk, Director of Regulation at the
Gambling Commission said:
“Tackling the illegal supply of gaming
machines remains a priority for the Commission and the use of asset
recovery provides another deterrent for the Gambling Commission to
use in keeping gambling fair and safe.
“This is the first confiscation order for the
Commission and I want to put on record our thanks for the support
of the Regional Asset Recovery Team in the West Midlands.”
Detective Inspector Chris Berrow of RART (West
Midlands) added:
“We actively seek opportunities to work with
our partners to tackle criminality in whatever guise it is found
and were pleased to support the Gambling Commission in this
case.”
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. See the Terms & Conditions section of our website
for information on legal advice.
- 4. 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.
- 5. Full details of operating licence requirements are on
the Gambling Commission website.
- 6. Previous press releases related to this case are
Gaming machine
suppliers warned after operator is convicted, High court upholds Gambling
Commission’s appeal, Heavy fine for illegal machine
supplier.
- 7. Further details about RART can be found at
www.rart.gov.uk/WhoWeAre/.
Further information
- You can call John Travers on (0121) 230 6700, (07852) 124624 or
email him via communications@gamblingcommission.gov.uk.