The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has announced that it has fined the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) $550,000 ($352,427/€326,249) for operating electronic gaming machines (pokies) without the correct pre-commitment technology installed.
Australian gambling fines account for 99% of global fines issued so far this year.
Following an anonymous tip-off in late 2021, the VGCCC carried out an investigation into ALH venues across the state. The regulator found that a total of 220 gaming machines were found to be operating without the required YourPlay pre-commitment technology. All machines were immediately turned off and in November 2022, the VGCCC charged ALH with 62 breaches across 77 venues.
Victorian gambling regulations state that all gambling machines must have YourPlay installed, a requirement that the VGCCC stated the operator would have understood clearly. Ruling on the case, a magistrate stated that the breaches were both serious and wilful although ALH’s early guilty plea and subsequent cooperation were factors in reducing the fine from the maximum penalty of $1.35 million ($864,900 /€800,000).
As a result, ALH must now pay a fine of AU$500,000 ($320,347/€296,540) and AU$50,000 ($32,034/€29,654) in legal costs.
VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM said of the ruling:
“This outcome demonstrates the VGCCC’s commitment to pursuing those operators who opportunistically or deliberately contravene their obligations to protect the community from gambling harm. Gambling providers need to pay close attention to their obligations because the consequences for getting it wrong can be significant.”
The confirmation of ALH’s fine follows VGCCC’s announcement that it had charged BlueBet with placing illegal gambling ads on billboards throughout Victoria. Meanwhile, in July of this year the regulator charged eight gambling venues with remaining open outside permitted operating hours while also not having YourPlay installed on some of their gambling machines.
So far in 2023, gambling regulators across the globe have issued a total of US$390,170,226 (AU$609,006,878/£310,325,725 /€361,081,913) in fines and penalties. Australian regulators have issued the lion’s share of those fines with regulatory penalties totaling US$390,166,053 (AU$608,953,045/£249,581,234/€361,182,845).
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.