Jackpot Machine Regulation Violators will be Slapped Down
28th May, 2008
United Kingdom – The Gambling Commission again warns arcade and bingo operators to desist from violating their regulations on the number of jackpot machines that can be offered by each kind of gambling facility. Under the Gambling Commission’s regulations which have been in force since September, gaming arcades, bingo clubs/halls and betting shops are not allowed to operate slot machines that offer high jackpots or prizes; they can operate only up to four machines that offer jackpots at the £500 level. Only licensed casinos are permitted to offer their patrons high-jackpot slots.
In response to the Gambling Commission’s decision to limit the number of high-jackpot machines that arcades, bingo shops and betting firms can operate and offer their customers, the operators of the said establishments have found ingenious ways to evade the regulations limiting the number of high-jackpot machines that they can operate in their premises.
Some of the operators divided their premises into multiple shops. A big bingo hall or betting facility, for instance, would install rail barriers to divide the large space into several premises. Each of the premises would then contain the regulation four high-jackpot machines. Thus, one arcade, bingo shop or betting facility could still carry the original number of high-jackpot machines by dividing its venue into as many distinct premises as needed.
On the other hand, some arcade, bingo halls and betting shops established new betting and gaming venues – obviously to accommodate the high-jackpot slot machines that have been displaced due to the Gambling Commission’s machine limitations. By so doing, some of them also violated regulations concerning the minimum requirements for setting up gaming and betting facilities. Some of the new venues don’t even meet the barest minimum requirements and have obviously been set up only with the intention of maximizing the number of high-jackpot slots that they can operate.
The gambling Commission finds both strategies to be clear violations of the objectives of the high-jackpot machine limitations imposed on arcades, bingo halls and betting shops. Thus, they have issued warnings against such facilities to the effect that if the said operators do not desist from violating the limit on slot machines, the Commission will issue even more specific regulations.
As a result of the regulation instituted by the Gambling Commission, many operators were forced to remove thousands of their lucrative slot machines from their premises. The negative financial impact of the machine limitation has been enormous – high-jackpot machines are some of the most exceptionally profitable machines in such facilities.
By Elena
