Council seizes thirty-eight illegal gambling machines
Thirty-eight illegal gambling machines have been seized from seven businesses in Hackney.
Hackney Council’s licensing enforcement team, police and the Gambling Commission visited social clubs in the borough, on Friday 2 October, to remove unauthorised machines.
None of the seven premises had the correct licence to have the gambling machines, and they been previously warned to remove them by the council.
The machines taken included fruit machines, betting terminals and video poker machines. Businesses must have a licence issued by the council to legally have these machines on the premises.
In order to have machines like this legally, businesses must have the correct licence so that we can regulate them. This is so we can work to protect vulnerable people from harm, prevent gambling being associated with crime and ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way.
If any business owner isn’t sure what licence they need, call the licensing team who will be happy to advise.
Matthew Hill, Gambling Commission Director, Regulatory Risk & Analysis, said: “This is a great example of a licensing authority taking responsibility for dealing with gambling-related crime, working in partnership with the police and the Gambling Commission.”
The illegal machines seized are now liable to be destroyed. The owners have 28 days to claim the machines, if they want to dispute their legality.
A venue with a premises licence is authorised to have up to two gaming machines of a specific category. Businesses wanting advice on what machines they are permitted to have, can contact Hackney Council’s licencing team on: 0208 356 2431 or at: licensing@hackney.gov.uk