77Protection of sensitive areas of gaming machines

77 Protection of sensitive areas of gaming machines

77 Protection of sensitive areas of gaming machines

(1) It is an offence for a person (other than an authorised person) to do any of the following—

(a) break a seal securing a computer cabinet or gain access to anything within a computer cabinet,

(b) affix a seal to a computer cabinet,

(c) remove, replace or in any way affect or interfere with the operation of a computer cabinet or anything within a computer cabinet,

(d) break a seal protecting the integrity of the game program of an approved gaming machine,

(e) remove, or interfere with, any security device on an approved gaming machine,

(f) remove, or interfere with, the housing protecting the meters of an approved gaming machine,

(g) remove, disconnect or interfere with a meter of an approved gaming machine,

(h) interfere with information received, stored or transmitted electronically by an approved gaming machine,

(i) remove, or interfere with, any mark or seal affixed to an approved gaming machine to preserve the integrity of operation of the machine.

Maximum penalty—100 penalty units.

(2) An authorised person must, if the person breaks any seal in doing anything referred to in subsection (1), replace the seal.

Maximum penalty—100 penalty units.

(2A) If an authorised person, in doing anything referred to in subsection (1), breaks any seal on or in relation to an approved gaming machine kept in a hotel or on the premises of a club, the hotelier or club must ensure that the seal is replaced by the authorised person in accordance with subsection (2).

Maximum penalty—10 penalty units.

(2B) The hotelier or club does not commit an offence under subsection (2A) if the authorised person has, before the gaming machine is operated for the purposes of gambling—

(a) certified, in the form approved by the Secretary, that the seal has been replaced by the person, and

(b) given a copy of the certificate to the hotelier or club.