The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has announced that is has brought charges against Tabcorp and eight licensed gambling venues for allegedly allowing a minor to place wagers on gaming machines (pokies).
According to the VGCCC statement, Tabcorp now faces 54 charges, 27 of which relate to minors accessing a gambling machine area and play pokies. The operator has also been charged with failing to have sufficient supervision in place across its electronic betting terminals.
All eight venue operators also face similar charges following an investigation. The VGCCC found that on 27 occasions between September 8th and November 1st 2022, the operators allowed minors to gamble.
The venues listed in the statement are:
- Olympic Hotel
- Brunswick Club
- Edwardes Lake Hotel
- Parkview Hotel
- Albion Charles Hotel
- Doncaster Hotel
- Rose Shamrock & Thistle Hotel
- Northcote TAB Agency
If found guilty, the operators could face combined fines that total more than AU$1 million ($645,626/€603,865). Meanwhile, Tabcorp could face a maximum fine of AU$698,997 ($451,383/€422,100).
VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM said:
“One of the most serious harms is allowing minors to gamble. All gambling venues must ensure they do not accept a bet from a minor and must ask for identification from anyone they suspect could be underage”.
The investigations into all licensed gaming venues followed a complaint from a member of the public.
The charges will now be brought before a court.
Last week the VGCCC charged the Tower Hotel operator for operating pokie machines with no YourPlay pre-commitment technology installed while a week earlier it handed out a record fine to Tabcorp for failing to follow the regulator’s directions.
According to the latest Global Gambling Statistics, Australians have the highest gambling losses per person in the world. Each year the average gambler loses approximately AU$1870 ($1200/€1118).
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.
