Case against Queensland’s Ville Resort Casino dismissed

The court has dismissed the case due to insufficient evidence.

Australia.- The case against Queensland’s Ville Resort Casino has been dismissed by the court due to a lack of evidence. The casino faced three charges related to its operating licence and gambling activities brought by the Office of Liquor and Gambling Regulation (OLGR) in December 2022.

Channel Nine programme 60 Minutes claimed the casino operator had paid “cash and loyalty points” to unapproved operators to attract high rollers. At the time, Ville Resort Casino said the report contained factual inaccuracies and that it had operated legally. Breakwater Island Limited, the operator of The Ville Resort Casino, pleaded not guilty to all charges last January.

Prosecutor April Freeman said the case would no longer proceed, leading to the dismissal of all three charges against the defendant. Magistrate Richard Lehmann concurred with the decision, stating that the prosecution failed to present substantial evidence to support the charges. Consequently, The Ville Resort Casino has been cleared of any legal wrongdoing.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Attorney-General said that issues with evidence had emerged during trial preparation, hindering OLGR’s ability to prove the case.