158.The Act places controls on people who wish to provide facilities for gambling by means of remote communication. This section concerns computer software for gambling that is used in connection with such facilities, but not software designed for use in a gaming machine.
159.It is an offence under subsection (1) to manufacture, supply, install or adapt, in the course of a business, computer software for remote gambling, unless an operating licence is held for such activity. The purpose of this offence is to ensure that people responsible for generating gambling software do so in a regulated environment, to ensure, in particular, fairness for players. While an operating licence for remote gambling covers someone offering gambling, for example by means of the internet, it does not, itself, cover someone who is manufacturing the gambling software that will be used in providing such facilities (i.e. the software supplier to a remote gambling operator). This section covers this latter situation.
160.The maximum penalty for the offence is a maximum term or imprisonment of 51 weeks in England and Wales (or 6 months in Scotland), and/or a fine up to level 5 on the standard scale.
161.Computer software for gambling for use in a gaming machine is expressly excluded from this offence (in subsection (2)(b)) because the definition of gaming machine in Part 10 already includes such computer software. Someone manufacturing computer software for a gaming machine would therefore be subject to the provisions (and the offences) contained in Part 10.
162.Subsection (3) ensures that a communications service provider, who enables someone to download or send gambling software to another person, is not treated as himself supplying or installing that gambling software. This is an exception for “mere carriers” of the software.
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