Betting and Gaming Duties Act 1981

24 Restrictions on provision of gaming machines

(1) Except in the cases specified in Part I of Schedule 4 to this Act, no gaming machine (other than a penny machine) shall be provided for gaming on any premises situated in Great Britain unless there is a gaming machine licence for the time being in force in respect of the premises.

(2) No more than one gaming machine licence shall be in force at any time as respects the gaming machines on any premises except that there may be one licence as respects the gaming machines chargeable at one rate, and one licence as respects the gaming machines chargeable at another rate.

(3) Gaming machines chargeable at a particular rate shall not be provided on any such premises in excess of the number authorised by the licence authorising the provision of gaming machines chargeable at that rate.

(4) Where a licence which authorises the provision of gaming machines chargeable at one rate only is in force in respect of any such premises, gaming machines chargeable at any other rate shall not be provided for gaming on those premises unless another licence authorising the provision of gaming machines chargeable at that other rate is also in force in respect of the premises.

(5) If any gaming machine is provided for gaming on any premises in contravention of this section, any person who at the time when it is so provided—

(a) is the owner, lessee or occupier of the premises, or

(b) is for the time being responsible to the owner, lessee or occupier for the management of the premises, or

(c) is a person responsible for issuing or exchanging coins or tokens for use in playing any gaming machine on the premises, or otherwise for controlling the use of any such machine, or

(d) is for the time being responsible for controlling the admission of persons to the premises or for providing persons resorting thereto with any goods or services, or

(e) is the owner or hirer of the machine, or

(f) is a party to any contract under which a gaming machine may, or is required to, be on the premises at that time,

shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a penalty of £500.

(6) If any gaming machine is provided for gaming on any premises in contravention of this section and any such person as is mentioned in subsection (5) above knowingly or recklessly brought about the contravention or took any steps with a view to procuring it he shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on summary conviction to a penalty of the prescribed sum or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both ; or

(b) on conviction on indictment to a penalty of any amount or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.