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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1981
AUTOMATIC MACHINES LEGISLATION TIGHTENED UP
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SOME OPERATORS OF AUTOMATIC MACHINE ZAVN HAWES ARE
BARRED FROM OBTAINING A LICENCE AFTER NEW LICENSING GUIDELINES ARE PUBLISHED NEXT WEEK AND AN AMENDMENT BILL GAZETTED TODAY IS ENACTED.
ACCORDING TO A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, THE NEW GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO SIMPLIFY AND TO SPEED UP LICENSING PROCEDURES.
+ONE OF THE NEW GUIDELINES,+ HE SAID, STATES THAT NO APPLICANT WILL BE GRANTED A LICENCE IF HE HAS BEEN CONVICTED UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS LICENCES ORDINANCE, THE LAW WHICH GOVERNS AUTOMATIC MACHINE LICENSING. THIS MAY SPELL TROUBLE FOR THOSE OPERATORS WHO ARE PRESENTLY AVOIDING GOVERNMENT LICENSING CONDITIONS BY USING AUTOMATIC MACHINES WITH HEAT SENSITIVE SWITCHES IF THEY COʻTINUE TO OPERATE WITHOUT A LICENCE AND PROPER CONTROL IN FUTURE.+
AT THE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY OF HEAT SENSITIVE MACHINES IS NO”, MOMENT CLEARLY COVERED BY THE ORDINANCE, WHICH DESCRIBE AUTOMATIC MACHINE AS A MECHANICAL DEVICE. BUT UNDER THE NEW AMENDMENT BILL GAZETTED TODAY, THESE AND OTHER MACHINES WILL BE BROUGHT INTO THE SCOPE OF THE LAW.
IF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ENACTED THE BILL, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, IT SHOULD COME INTO EFFECT IN JANUARY 1982. AFTER THAT, OPERATORS USING HEAT SENSITIVE GAMES MACHINES WITHOUT A LICENCE FROM THE TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING AUTHORITY WILL BE COMMITTING AN OFFENCE AND PROSECUTED. CONVICTION WILL PREVENT THEN FROM BEING GRANTED A LICENCE IN FUTURE.
+THESE CENTRES SHOULD THEREFORE CEASE OPERATION IMMEDIATELY UNTIL THE OPERATORS HAVE APPLIED AND OBTAINED A LICENCE FROM THE AUTHORITY, THE SPOKESMAN ADVISED.
+IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN 43 SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING UNLICENSED CENTRES, HE ADDED.
THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS WAS TO ENSURE THAT YOUNG PERSONS WERE PROTECTED AND THAT AUTOMATIC MACHINE CENTRES WERE WELL-MANAGED, NOT OVER-CROWDED, AND DID NOT BECOME A NUISANCE TO NEARBY RESIDENTS. NO LICENSED CENTRES OTHER THAN SPECIALLY LICENSED CHILDREN CENTRES ARE PERMITTED TO ADMIT PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 16. FOR BOTH TYPES OF CENTRES, NO PERSON IN SCHOOL UNIFORMS ARE ALLOWED ENTRY.
+THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE ESSENTIAL IN VIEW OF THE PUBLIC CONCERN OVER THE EFFECTS OF THESE CENTRES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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