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The Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) has once again been fined by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), this time for allowing minors to gamble with poker machines at its venues.
In a press release issued on Monday, the VGCCC revealed that ALH, one of Australia’s largest operators of slot machines, has been fined A$38,000 without conviction in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.
The penalty comes after the company admitted guilt to six charges related to minors entering gaming areas at three of its locations on four occasions throughout 2024. Notably, ALH self-reported these violations, a move that VGCCC CEO Suzy Neilan recognized as a constructive action. However, she stressed that such voluntary disclosures do not eliminate the responsibility of operators to comply with regulations.
“Being accountable for wrongdoing demonstrates integrity, which has been a focus of the VGCCC’s ongoing work with gambling operators,” she said.
“But it’s not enough to own up after the fact. Venues must be proactive about ensuring that minors do not access poker machine areas by ensuring they have in place appropriate systems, processes and staff.”
Multiple Cases Recorded in 2024
The incidents detailed in the press release include a 17-year-old gaining repeated access to the gaming room at Cramers Hotel in Preston on January 24, 2024, without being asked for identification, even after multiple interactions with staff. Staff only intervened the next day when the teenager placed personal belongings next to a slot machine, signaling an intent to gamble.
Another case occurred on April 24, 2024, at the Excelsior Hotel in Thomastown, where a child accompanied by two adults entered the slot machine area. The child interacted with a gaming machine while seated with an adult before both were removed by staff.
Additionally, on September 27, 2024, a 14-year-old boy accessed the gaming room at the Mountain View Hotel in Glen Waverley and was able to gamble on a slot machine before staff intervened.
Operators Must Do More to Prevent Breaches
Neilan emphasized that venues cannot simply react after incidents happen; they need to implement proactive measures to stop minors from accessing gaming floors.
“Operators should undertake a risk assessment and put in place controls to prevent minors from entering gambling areas. Some examples of controls could include displaying clear signage that the poker machine room is for adults only and checking the identification of anyone who appears under 25 years of age,” she added.
In light of the recent A$38,000 fine against ALH, which also includes an additional A$40,000 in legal costs to the VGCCC, the pressure is on operators to step up their game. The court indicated that if ALH had not pleaded guilty, the penalty could have reached A$90,000 and come with a recorded criminal conviction.
This incident is part of a larger trend of enforcement actions by the VGCCC. In March, the Peninsula Club in Dromana faced an A$7,000 fine alongside A$3,500 in legal costs for allowing a minor to access its gaming area on two occasions. During the second incident, the child managed to use a poker machine for about five minutes before staff intervened.
Moreover, another case involved two venues in Victoria being fined after a prolonged investigation into underage gambling. Correct Bet, operating the Coburg TAB outlet, received a A$3,000 fine, while Supreme Edinburgh, trading as the Duke of Edinburgh in Brunswick, was fined A$2,500. Both operators admitted guilt for allowing a 17-year-old boy to gamble at various locations across the state from May 2022 to October 2023.
Source: NEXT.io
