Victorian regulator fines ALH Group over minors at gambling venues
Breaches were identified at three venues.
Australia.- The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has fined Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) AU$38,000 (US$24,491) after it self-reported six instances of allowing minors to be exposed to gambling at vennues in Victoria. The cases involved three minors at three venues on four dates in 2024.
Two venues, the Cramers and Excelsior hotels, were repeat offenders. A 17-year-old was able to enter the poker machine area of Cramers Hotel in Preston multiple times without having to show ID, despite several interactions with staff on January 24 2024. Staff intervened on January 25, 2024, only after the teen placed his belongings next to a gaming machine.
Separately, a child in the company of two adults entered the poker machine area of the Excelsior Hotel in Thomastown on April 24, 2024. The child pressed buttons on a machine before the group was escorted from the area.
The other case involved a 14-year-old boy who entered the gaming machine room at the Mountain View Hotel in Glen Waverley on September 27, 2024, and gambled on a machine before staff intervened.
In addition to the fine, the magistrate ordered ALH to pay VGCCC’s legal costs of AU$40,000 (US$25,780).
Suzy Neilan, CEO of the VGCCC, 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.”
Neilan said the VGCCC would continue to be vigilant but that “prevention is better than cure”. She stated: “I encourage all hotels and clubs to review their operations, including staff training, and consider making any adjustments required to ensure compliance with the law.”
