The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has taken 88 disciplinary actions against gambling licensees and employees in the 2023-2024 period and is already preparing the 2027 review of Crown Melbourne’s license.
The Victoria gaming regulator released its 2023-24 Annual Report, detailing its most significant advancements in oversight, disciplinary actions, and harm minimization efforts.
The report revealed the VGCCC took 88 disciplinary actions in 2023-24, including three actions against major licensees, 78 against gambling employees, and seven against other gambling licensees.
Enforcement efforts resulted in 12 prosecutions commenced and 10 successful outcomes, a marked improvement from the previous year, when no prosecutions were successfully completed. Over AU$1.7 million ($1.1 million) in fines were issued during the year, targeting breaches that undermined compliance and industry integrity.
The commission undertook 1,633 audits and received 264 public tip-offs; a new system introduced in 2023-24 encouraged anonymous reporting of compliance breaches.
Among the enforcement actions, Tabcorp was fined AU$ 1 million ($649,350) for repeated failures during a VGCCC investigation into a major system outage.
The Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) faced penalties totaling AU$480,000 ($311,688) for operating poker machines at eight venues outside permitted trading hours and failing to observe mandatory shutdown periods.
Additionally, Myndit Pty Ltd, the former operator of the Rye Hotel, was fined AU$80,000 ($51,948) for breaches including improper check payments and poor financial record-keeping.
Bluebet Pty Ltd was prosecuted and fined AU$50,000 ($32,467) after being found guilty of 43 charges for illegally displaying gambling advertising on a public road, following an anonymous tip-off.
The VGCCC also ramped up its regulatory activities, conducting over 1,600 audits and 2,770 inspections of venues statewide, including a focused regional blitz. A new public tip-off system proved highly effective, receiving over 260 anonymous reports that prompted investigations into various compliance issues.
Crown Melbourne review on the works
In a pivotal decision, the VGCCC deemed Crown Melbourne fit to hold its casino license in March 2024 following two years of oversight by a government-appointed Special Manager. Crown remains subject to a three-year Transformation Plan.
The VGCCC underlined it is committed to ensuring the operator meets strict legal, social, and moral obligations, and the commission has warned Crown that failure to uphold these responsibilities will result in decisive action.
‘Looking to the future, the VGCCC is already preparing for the 2027 review of Crown Melbourne’s license. This process will include opportunities for community participation, offering an additional layer of scrutiny and fostering public confidence in the regulator’s approach’, the entity noted.
The gambling workforce showed slight contraction, with 27,154 gaming industry, casino, and bookmaker employees, compared to 28,002 in the prior year. As of June 30th, 2024, 481 venues with poker machines were operational, housing a total of 27,372 poker machine entitlements across clubs and hotels, with 62 remaining unused.
The VGCCC processed 9,479 license and other applications, a significant increase from 6,131 in the previous year, achieving 95.4 percent of licensing decisions within required timeframes.
Total entities registered or licensed fell slightly to 30,155, with 261 bookmakers (up from 252 in 2022-23) and 14 sports controlling bodies, an increase from the previous year’s 13.
In response to community concerns, the VGCCC banned betting on under-19 sporting competitions and the performance of individual players under 18. Collaborative efforts with the AFL also led to tighter controls on Brownlow Medal betting following a 2022 incident involving leaked voting information.
‘Harm reduction was a central pillar of the VGCCC’s strategy throughout the year. The commission implemented Responsible Service of Gambling (RSG) codes for wagering, lotteries, and Keno licensees, strengthened compliance with mandatory poker machine shutdown periods, and introduced mandatory carded play and pre-commitment systems for Melbourne Casino poker machines’, the report notes.
