Casinos Austria fined for unauthorised junket agreement in Australia
The casino operator paid Lawrence Fu to bring patrons to Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns.
Australia.- The Cairns Magistrates Court has fined Casinos Austria International (Cairns) Pty Ltd AU$10,000 for using junket services without authorisation. The operator had paid the junket tour operator Lawrence Fu AU$21,400 in betting vouchers to bring gamblers to Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns.
Fu brought groups of 22 to 34 people to the casino on five occasions between December 2020 and May 2021. Due to the lack of written approval from the state gaming minister, the agreement violated the Casino Control Act.
The prosecutor for the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation had requested a fine of between AU$10,000 and AU$15,000, while the casino’s defence requested no more than AU$10,000. Magistrate Gelma Meoli said Casinos Austria International admitted their guilt at the earliest opportunity and had fully cooperated with authorities.
The court also heard that the casino operator appointed a risk and compliance manager to ensure its systems, processes and policies are aligned with regulations and laws.
Meoli said: “I accept that you have not only offered an apology for the compliance failure but this mistake cannot be repeated because you have undertaken additional compliance training for staff. This includes a two-and-a-half hour training session on Casino Control Act compliance.”
