ALH fined AU$550,000 after being found guilty of 62 breaches in machine regulation
The ALH has been fined following an investigation by the VGCCC in Australia, which saw the company admit it had not installed the required pre-commitment technology in 62 of its 77 venues.
The Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) has received a fine of AU$550,000 (US$353,443) after being prosecuted by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) for operating over 200 gaming machines without mandatory pre-commitment technology installed.
The charges were officially made against ALH in November 2022, with the regulatory body claiming the company was guilty of 62 counts of not ensuring that the correct technology (titled YourPlay) was installed.
YourPlay is a mandatory installation under Victoria’s regulations and helps players set loss and time limits.
The ALH pleaded guilty to the charges and was spared the maximum fine of AU$1.35m by the Magistrate. Although, on top of the AU$550,000 sum, the ALH was further ordered to pay the VGCCC’s legal costs of AU$50,000.
VGCCC CEO, Annette Kimmitt, welcomed the verdict: “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 case came about after an anonymous tip-off, which the VGCCC investigated, finding the machines in question were not compliant.
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