BETTING shop and amusement arcade owners who failed to stop underage customers from playing their machines face losing their licence.

Brighton and Hove City Council will review the gambling licence of two city centre betting shops and arcades after they fell foul of a second undercover operation in a matter of months despite being warned they would be re-inspected.

Owners of the under-fire premises told The Argus underage gambling did not happen on their premises and they were taking precautions to stop a repeat of the incidents.

Regency Arcade, in West Street, Brighton, and Metrobet Bookmakers, in Boundary Road, Hove, were among six bookmakers and arcades caught out by a sting operation in April.

Brighton and Hove City Council and the Gambling Commission project sent in a 16-year-old boy to walk around the venues and play on their machines for a minimum of seven minutes without being checked for ID.

Warning letters were sent and businesses replied with how they would improve safeguards.

A second round of test inspections were then carried out on October 9 and again the two premises failed.

Staff at Connaught Leisure, in George Street, Hove, as well as Amusements and Silverstreak, both in St James’s Street, Brighton, all successfully challenged the teenager.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said the businesses will have their licences reviewed next month by a panel of councillors who have the power to strip the venues of their licence.

She added: “It is very concerning that these two businesses have failed for a second time “With gaming machines on the increase and the real concerns about fixed odds betting terminals where people can lose a lot of money very quickly, it is more important than ever that we take steps to protect young people.”

Jason Heal, co-owner of Regency Arcade, said: “We have responded to these in a positive manner, we have installed a door chime for whenever somebody comes in, we have more cameras, and we have moved the barriers back to the cash box.

“We have been doing more IDing, we have been IDing people aged 35 and 40 to be sure.

“The inspectors have a job to do but we were a bit unlucky because the last test purchase happened while we had one of the machines out and the member of staff was behind fixing the machine. “We don’t want anybody to play on the machines underage, there is no underage gambling in this arcade.”

Metrobet Bookmakers did not provide a comment.