A prominent Australian hospitality conglomerate, the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH), was recently hit with a substantial penalty of $550,000 AUD (approximately $353,443 USD) by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC). Their transgression? Neglecting to deploy a compulsory pre-commitment program known as YourPlay across a significant portion of their establishments – 62 out of 77.
The VGCCC initiated action in November 2022 with an official grievance, detailing how ALH fell short of their duty to guarantee YourPlay’s implementation and operation. For the uninitiated, YourPlay is a mechanism intended to assist gamblers in establishing boundaries on their expenditures and duration of gambling activities, a stipulation mandated by Victorian legislation.
ALH acknowledged their error, a move that likely shielded them from the maximum possible sanction of $1.35 million AUD. Nevertheless, in addition to the primary fine, they were also directed to cover $50,000 AUD in legal expenses incurred by the VGCCC.
The communication from the VGCCC is unambiguous: “Gaming operators, take heed! You bear responsibilities that must be fulfilled, and failure to do so will result in serious repercussions.”
The Gaming Regulatory Body of the Victorian Era initiated an inquiry following an unnamed source’s allegation, revealing illicit alterations to gaming devices.
