Crown Casino has been hit with a record $120 million fine by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) for failing to comply with responsible service of gambling obligations.
This latest fine is in addition to an $80 million fine Crown copped for its involvement in the illegal transfer of funds.
A royal commission led by respected jurist Ray Finkelstein found multiple cases of Crown failing to follow responsible gambling rules.
VGCCC chair Fran Thorn said that the gambling giant has accepted its behaviour was non-compliant at the royal commission.
“For a long time, Crown failed in its legal and moral obligation to ensure it provided its gambling products and services in a manner which minimised potential harm to its patrons, their families, friends and communities,” Thorn said.
“The record fines totalling $120 million that we have imposed on Crown today will send a powerful message to Crown that the commission will not tolerate misconduct that exposes our community to increased risks of gambling-related harm.”
Thorn said the breaches were not isolated and that they were a part of “extensive, sustained and systemic failures” that spanned more than a decade.
She said that the decision handed down by the regulator should be read by all holders of gambling licenses.
“This disciplinary action also sounds a warning to all in the Victorian gambling industry that we expect them to do everything they can to minimise the harmful impacts of gambling. The commission will be resolute in pursuing our new requirement to regulate for harm minimisation, and the industry can expect further action from the commission on this matter,” Thorn said.
Further disciplinary action against Crown also follows the recent demands from the Queensland government in show-cause letters sent to Star Entertainment to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against their two casino venues in that state.
the fine is missing a zero – needs to be $1.2B to have any effect
Funny you should say that. I actually read it as “billion” to begin with. Clear case of the eye seeing what it wants to see.
And meanwhile, those responsible carry on with business as usual. Can’t upset the flow of those gambling donations, can we?
What a circus. The clearly best way to minimise harm caused by gambling is minimise access to it, not perpetuate casinos and poker machine emporiums and allow online gambling to run amok and dominate advertising during sport. This is akin to a campaign to drink arsenic responsibly.
What no one sent Jail? Wrists, wet tram tickets, yudda yudda. They are not serious. Happy to let the corruption continue.
The casinos are breaking rules, – if next year any of those rules are broken again, the entire fine will increase by half, and so for subsequent years, inexorably. – compounding.!
As the increase more than doubles every two years, their accountants will start to wriggle in their pants, – it will only be a matter of time before the entire worth of a casino will be taken in one year, light bulbs will light up in their minds..
Nope. The casinos will “lobby” the government to quietly change the rules in the meantime… until the next round of “shocking” information about money laundering.
I agree, government regulators as well.
I wonder whether the diversion of the profits to the state until all behaviour is in accordance with the law might change the concept of being too big to discipline. Move the licence temporarily back to the state.
Now there’s a solution I would get behind!
They are regulated and taxed by the states.
I wonder if Border Force will investigate possible immigration offences that allegedly took place with ‘junkets’ and the casinos’ private jets?