In London Clubs Management v HMRC [2014] UKFTT 1060 (27 November 2014) the FTT found that the value of ‘non-negotiable chips’ and ‘free bet vouchers’ (together referred to as ‘non-negs’) for gaming duty purposes was their face value.
London Clubs Management (LCM) provides non-negs free of charge to selected customers as a promotional tool to encourage them to visit its casinos and play casino games. The customers can only use non-negotiable chips to place bets at the gaming tables; unlike normal cash chips they cannot be encashed or used to pay for goods and services. Similarly free bet vouchers entitle their holder to place bets.
The issue was the value for gaming duty purposes of ‘non-negs’ under FA 1997 s 11(10).
The FTT rejected the contention that a ‘non-neg’ has no value because it does not represent money deposited with the casino. The FTT observed...
