Holland Park Leisure Limited, which runs three adult gaming centres in Leicester city centre, has been sanctioned with a £150,000 ($202,888) fine by the Gambling Commission for failing to comply with the mandatory multi-operator self-exclusion scheme. On Tuesday, the Commission determined that the company had violated Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.5.6, a requirement in Great Britain that enables players to exclude themselves from multiple local gambling venues.
In addition, Holland Park Leisure has been directed to hire an independent third-party auditor to evaluate its policies, procedures, controls, and staff training concerning self-exclusion and responsible gambling practices.
John Pierce, the Gambling Commission's director of enforcement and intelligence, underscored the significance of such self-exclusion schemes as vital tools for individuals who may be experiencing gambling-related harm. He insisted that it is crucial for all operators to fully engage with these schemes and to ensure robust protections for customers who have self-excluded. Pierce reaffirmed that participation in a recognized multi-operator self-exclusion scheme is a mandatory requirement.
“These are not optional requirements. They are fundamental licence conditions designed to protect consumers from harm, and operators that fail to meet them can expect regulatory action,” he stated.
Holland Park Leisure has been previously warned about its non-compliance but did not take corrective measures at that time. During the investigation, the company also misled the regulator with inaccurate information. Although some steps were taken towards compliance after the licensing review began, these factors were deemed serious aggravators in the assessment of the penalty.
The scrutiny of adult gaming centres, which provide category B and C gaming machines to customers aged 18 and over, has intensified. Recently, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced plans to reform the operations of these centres, including requiring them to obtain planning approval for opening. The reforms would also put an end to the existing "aim to permit" rule that applies to betting shops and 24-hour slot machine arcades nationwide.
In his announcement, Burnham described adult gaming centres and betting shops as "dodgy businesses." Experts have cautioned that such reforms would likely necessitate new legislation to amend the Gambling Act of 2005. Andrew Lyman, Gibraltar’s Gambling Commissioner and former UK Gambling Commission director, noted, “A fundamental change to an underlying principle of the act would need to be changed by primary legislation."
