21.—(1) An application for approval of a class of gaming equipment may be made by a casino operator (or an applicant for a casino licence) intending to use, or any person intending to supply for use, the gaming equipment in any casino.
(2) The application under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in such form and manner as the Authority may provide and shall be accompanied by —
(a)
the appropriate application fee specified in the First Schedule, which fee is not refundable;
(b)
where technical standards have been issued in relation to the gaming equipment and have not been waived under regulation 20(2), a report issued by a recognised testing laboratory certifying that the class of gaming equipment complies with the technical standards applicable to it; and
(c)
such other documents as the Authority may require to determine the application.
(3) The Authority may, in addition to any investigation carried out under section 102(1) of the Act, require the manufacturer or supplier of the gaming equipment to provide such information or produce such records as may be necessary to determine the application under paragraph (1).
(4) The Authority may give a written notice to the applicant under paragraph (1) of the estimated cost of the investigation under section 102(1) of the Act and require the applicant to pay such estimated cost to the Authority within such period as may be specified in the notice.
(5) The Authority may refuse to consider an application for approval of any class of gaming equipment if ––
(a)
the application is incomplete;
(b)
any person refuses to allow an investigation of the gaming equipment under section 102(1) of the Act or fails to comply with a requirement of the Authority under paragraph (3) in respect of that application; or
(c)
the application fee or the estimated cost of investigation required under paragraph (4) is not paid.
(6) At the conclusion of the investigation into the application or if the application is withdrawn, the Authority shall certify the actual cost of the investigation, and shall ––
(a)
where the actual cost of investigation is lower than the amount paid under paragraph (4), refund the excess without interest to the person who paid the estimated cost; or
(b)
where the actual cost of investigation is higher than the amount paid under paragraph (4), by a written notice, require the applicant to reimburse the Authority the excess within such period as may be specified in the notice.
(7) The Authority may approve the class of gaming equipment, subject to such conditions as the Authority thinks fit.