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Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) has entered a guilty plea to 24 counts pertaining to violations of the law against underage gambling at various Victoria venues. Venues such the Albion Charles Hotel, Cramers Hotel, Doncaster Hotel, Excelsior Hotel, Rose Shamrock & Thistle Hotel, and Westside Taverner were the locations of these infractions.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) claims that throughout the months of September 2022 to October 2023, ALH let a minor to gamble at five separate locations. In a different occurrence, even with an adult present, an eight-year-old was discovered within Westside Taverner’s poker machine section, which is expressly forbidden by state law.
After ALH admitted to these breaches, the VGCCC imposed significant fines. The company received a $175,000 penalty for allowing the teenager to gamble and an additional $2,500 fine for the incident involving the child. ALH was also ordered to pay $45,000 to cover VGCCC’s costs. The VGCCC emphasized that venues must supervise electronic betting terminals to prevent similar violations.
VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt reiterated the regulator’s firm stance on protecting minors: “It is well established that minors who gamble are more likely to experience severe harm from gambling as adults. All venues therefore have a legal and social obligation to protect children from that risk. We have zero tolerance for operators that flout the law, especially when children are involved.”
Kimmitt also commended the staff for intervening when the eight-year-old was discovered in the gambling area but stressed that “it is never acceptable for a child to gain access to a venue’s gambling area.”
This is not ALH’s first encounter with penalties in Victoria. At the end of 2023, the company was fined $480,000 for violating operating hours regulations. Earlier in the same year, ALH received a $550,000 fine for breaching gambling control rules, signaling a continued crackdown on regulatory violations in Victoria.