Belfast poker club owner fined £3,000

Owner Sean Murphy finally found out what the rest of the damage would be this week, being ordered by a magistrate to pay a £3,000 fine as well.

The judge ordered the seized slot machines be disposed of and the £2,000 given to charity, but the roulette and blackjack tables be returned, since Murphy promised they would only be used for legitimate purposes.

Murphy, the BBC reports, acknowledged he broke the law but called for new poker regulations in Northern Ireland. A Crown lawyer however suggested police hoped this was the first of many prosecutions.