Gaming machine rebirthing racket attracts NSW fine

The New South Wales (NSW) Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority found two gaming machine license holders guilty for their alleged roles in a gaming machine rebirthing racket. The Australian state gaming authority has issued bans and fines on both the men involved in this gaming machine racket.

Riad Allam, a gaming machine technician and Justin Layden, a gaming machine seller were ordered to pay a sum of AUD$100,000, which comes out to £52,825/€61,908/US$68,620, in combined legal costs and fines.

Layden was also handed a 1-year ban from the gaming industry and ordered to pay legal costs and fines amounting to AUD$34,000. Allam was also issued with a 3-year complete ban from engaging in the gaming industry and ordered to pay AUD$66,000 for his role in the New South Wales gaming machine rebirthing racket.

As per the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, both men were associated with an illegal company that was found to be engaging in sale, purchase and delivery of gaming machines without obtaining the authorisations required for the same. The gaming machines involved in this episode were scheduled to be destroyed at a recycling plant but were rather in the process of being rebirthed so they could be sold to other licensed gaming locations.

Liquor and Gaming NSW confiscated 43 retired gaming machines in the operation from a licensed gaming location in Sydney’s North Shore and a warehouse at Chipping Norton.

Sean Goodchild, director of compliance operations at Liquor & Gaming NSW said, “Gaming machines in NSW are tightly regulated and strict rules apply to sellers, dealers and technicians. The unlawful conduct in this case undermines the integrity of the industry and increases the risk of gaming machines falling into the wrong hands.”

As per the New South Wales law, it is illegal to possess a gaming machine in the Australian state without proper authorisation. Breaking this law can potentially lead to a maximum penalty of AUD$11,000 or 12 months of jail time.

Late in 2019, the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling had publicised details of a new funding opportunity for study grants, post-doctoral fellowships and PhD scholarships to develop capacity and capability in gambling research.

The idea is to use the money from the Australian state’s Responsible Gambling Fund to provide grants to programmes that aim at improving the impact, diversity and quality of gambling research in populations throughout Australia.