The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has announced that it has fined Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) AU$480,000 ($323,870/€295,994) for operating electronic gaming machines (EGMs) outside permitted hours of operation.
According to the announcement, a VGCCC investigation revealed that ALH had operated 15 EGMs in eight venues outside their permitted hours. The breaches occurred from February 15th 2023 to May 25th, 2023. The VGCCC noted that the machines failed to shutdown for the minimum 4 hours after every 20 hours of operation as required by gambling regulations.
AU$420,000 of the fines were issued in relation to breaches at the following venues:
• First and Last Hotel
• Croxton Park Hotel
• Albion Charles Hotel
• Berwick Inn Taverner
• The Millers Inn Hotel
• Village Green Hotel
• Elsternwick Hotel
An additional fine of AU$60,000 was issued for operating EGMs outside of nominated trading hours on May 25th 2023 at the Boundary Taverner.
VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt said of the fine:
“We expect all venue operators to provide gambling services responsibly and to observe the trading hours for their electronic gaming machines.
Ensuring patrons take breaks and are not exposed to extended, continuous periods of play are critical to the responsible service of gambling. The VGCCC will continue to monitor gaming machine operations to ensure our expectations are being met.”
Second Fine of 2023 for ALH
In August of this year the VGCCC fined ALH AU$550,000 ($352,427/€326,249) for operating electronic gaming machines (pokies) without the correct pre-commitment technology installed. 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.
ALH is Victoria’s largest operator of EGMs and currently operates 4,690 machines across 76 venues.
Global Fines Top €400 Million
So far in 2023, gambling regulators across the globe have issued a total of €401.3 million (AU$651 million/£347.7 million /$439.3 million) in fines and penalties. Australian regulators have issued the lion’s share of those fines with regulatory penalties totaling AU$468.7 million (€289 million/£250.3 million /$316.2 million)
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.