Preston Hotel and Tabcorp may face fines over teenage gambling

Tabcorp faces eight charges and Preston Hotel 15 charges, several related to allowing minors to gamble.

Australia.- The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has reported that Tabcorb and a hotel face fines for a series of failings. Tabcorp, Australia’s largest gambling company, could be fined AU$103,505 (US$70,000) for four charges of allowing a minor to gamble and four charges of failing to supervise a gambling.

Meanwhile, Melbourne’s Preston Hotel faces 15 charges, including six counts of allowing a minor to gamble and six counts of failing to supervise its electronic betting terminals. The commission was tipped off about a minor allegedly being allowed to gamble and also investigated other venues. 

It faces a fine of up to AU$221,904 (US$150,000) for allegedly allowing a 16-year-old to access electronic betting terminals and place bets on six occasions in May and September of last year.

VGCCC gambling director Glorija Kuzman stressed that all gambling venues and holders of statewide wagering and betting licences have a legal requirement to do everything they can to stop children from gambling. 

Crown Melbourne ordered to implement spending limits by year end

Meanwhile, the VGCCC ordered Crown Melbourne to introduce mandatory carded play by December 2023. This mandate is intended to serve as an anti-money laundering measure and will link all electronic gaming machines (EGM) to a person’s identity through their gaming card.

The casino operator must implement a pre-commitment using the YourPlay system, which ensures players set time and spend limits prior to playing. While YourPlay will continue to operate on a voluntary basis for customers at other venues, at the Melbourne Casino a player will not be able to continue to play beyond their pre-set limits.