A prominent Australian pub and club conglomerate, the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH), has received a substantial financial penalty for neglecting to implement a required pre-commitment program on its gaming machines. This program, called YourPlay, aims to assist players in establishing boundaries on their expenditures and duration of play, fostering responsible gaming practices.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) discovered that ALH had failed to install YourPlay on more than 200 devices across 62 of their establishments. This violation resulted in a penalty of $550,000 AUD, a significant consequence underscoring the critical nature of player safeguard measures.
Although ALH could have faced a much larger fine, their admission of guilt and the presiding judge’s ruling resulted in a lessened penalty. Nevertheless, the corporation was also directed to cover the VGCCC’s legal expenses. This instance serves as a stark caution to all gaming providers in Victoria that disregarding their legal duties can carry severe repercussions.
The Gaming Regulatory Body of Victoria received an unnamed report and swiftly initiated an inquiry concerning a suspect gaming device. As it happens, the speculation proved accurate – the apparatus was in violation of regulations.
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