The two accused in court on Friday.

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A 44-year-old man was sentenced on Friday to two and a half years for robbing 47,000 euros from gambling salons in Palma in February last year.

On the eleventh of that month he went to a salon on Calle Cardenal Rossell and smashed the box of one of the betting machines. He took 320 euros and then started placing bets by entering notes with the box open. In this way he managed to obtain prizes worth 26,550 euros.

In order to collect one of the prizes, worth 2,900 euros, he needed to present an identity card. On his behalf, a friend went to a gambling salon run by the same company five days later. He was paid 600 euros to do this; he was sentenced to six months for handling stolen goods, which he will not serve as he does not have a previous criminal record.

Later in February, the accused went to a salon on Calle Cartago and did the same as he had at the first salon. On this occasion he obtained 32,850 euros. The total figure of 47,000 euros was the size of his "winnings" less the amount he had to put in.

The sentence took account of his gambling addiction but also of the fact that he had been convicted for the same crime in 2017. As well as the prison term he has been ordered to repay the money.