Arcade machine

Amusement arcades raided across Kent and Sussex in £100,000 duty probe

Tuesday, June 26, 2012
1:35 PM

HMRC seize nearly 100 machines in Kent and Sussex

HM Revenue and Custom officers have seized dozens of gaming machines from amusement arcades in Kent and Sussex on suspicion they are being operated illegally.

Officers visted an arcade in Tunbridge Wells and five in Sussex last week, seizing 86 illegally operated machines containing almost £20,000 in cash.

One man has been arrested on suspicion of gaming duty fraud.

HM Revenue & Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger said: “We are investigating the non-payment of approximately £100,000 in Amusement Machine Licence Duty since July 2011.

“Gaming machine operators are legally required to pay the excise duty due on each machine, and if they don’t, then our officers step in. We only seize machines as the last resort, when all other efforts to collect the duty have been exhausted.”

The man arrested was a 45-year-old from Bognor Regis. He has been released on bail until August 20.