Key points:
- The Magistrates’ Court of Victoria imposed a AU$38,000 fine on ALH without conviction and ordered AU$40,000 in legal costs
- The breaches involved minors accessing poker machine areas
- The VGCCC called on operators to adopt clearer controls to prevent future violations
Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) was fined AU$38,000 (around US$24,453) without conviction by the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, Australia, after admitting to offences involving three minors at three separate venues on four occasions in 2024.
The company self-reported the breaches to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC).
The Commission highlighted concerns over venues failing to prevent minors from entering poker machine areas, which poses risks to young people.
Suzy Neilan, who was recently appointed VGCCC CEO, said: “Being accountable for wrongdoing demonstrates integrity, which has been a focus of the VGCCC’s ongoing work with gambling operators.
“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.
“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.”
Good to know: In February, the VGCCC took enforcement action against 10 entities over breaches related to underage gambling
The VGCCC pointed to repeat offences at specific venues, including Cramers Hotel in Preston, Excelsior Hotel in Thomastown and Mountain View Hotel in Glen Waverley.
The breaches involved minors accessing poker machine areas at three venues in 2024, including a 17-year-old who entered multiple times without ID, a child who interacted with a machine while accompanied by adults and a 14-year-old who gambled before staff intervened.
Along with the fine, the Magistrate ordered ALH to pay VGCCC legal costs of AU$40,000. The Magistrate also noted that without the guilty plea, the fine could have been AU$90,000 with a criminal conviction recorded.
