London, 18 August 2026. Britain's Gambling Commission has fined Holland Park Leisure Limited, which operates three adult gaming centres in Leicester, £150,000. The reason: the operator failed to join a mandatory self-exclusion scheme for players on time.
According to the Commission, the operator had been made aware of its obligation to participate in the multi-operator self-exclusion scheme but did not do so. It only joined after the regulator suspended the company's licence in October 2025. The Commission treated this delay as an aggravating factor when setting the penalty.
In addition to the fine, Holland Park Leisure has been ordered to undergo an independent audit, which will review the company's policies, procedures and controls, as well as staff training.
John Pierce, the Commission's Director of Enforcement and Intelligence, said self-exclusion schemes matter for people who feel they are struggling with gambling, and that all operators must fully participate in them.
The fine comes amid a wider debate in the UK over the future of gaming venues on the high street. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for scrapping the "aim to permit" principle, under which local councils are, by default, inclined to approve applications to open such venues.
Source: gamblingcommission.gov.uk
