Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group fined for allowing underage gambling
The Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) has been fined AUD177,500 (€109,392) after pleading guilty to 24 charges relating to underage gambling and improper supervision of electronic betting terminals. The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) initiated these charges, which include allowing a minor to gamble, permitting a child into a poker machine area, and failing to ensure sufficient oversight at several of their venues.
Teenager allowed to gamble across multiple venues
Between September 2022 and October 2023, ALH permitted a teenager to gamble at five of its venues: Albion Charles Hotel, Cramers Hotel, Doncaster Hotel, Excelsior Hotel, and Rose Shamrock & Thistle Hotel. These breaches raised concerns over the company’s supervision of gambling activities, as minors are strictly prohibited from such spaces in Victoria. The VGCCC took firm action, citing the operator’s failure to safeguard against underage gambling.
Child accessed gambling area at ALH venue
In a separate incident in August 2023, an eight-year-old child, while accompanied by an adult, was able to enter the poker machine area at the Westside Taverner, another ALH establishment. Though the staff later intervened and asked the adult and child to leave, the VGCCC emphasised that such breaches should not occur in the first place.
“While I commend the staff at Westside Taverner for intervening when they became aware there was a minor in the poker machine area, it is never acceptable for a child to gain access to a venue’s gambling area,” VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM said. The venue was fined AUD2,500 (€1,540) for this infraction.
VGCCC takes a strong stance
Kimmitt expressed her support for the court’s decision, underlining the severe risk posed to minors who engage in gambling. “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,” she stated. Kimmitt added, ” We have zero tolerance for operators that flout the law, especially when children are involved.”
Fines imposed and further legal actions
Aside from the fines above, the company was also ordered to pay AUD45,000 (€27,733) in costs to the VGCCC. The fines are part of a broader enforcement effort by the VGCCC, which has prosecuted several venues for similar breaches. These prosecutions are part of a suite of actions taken by the VGCCC to ensure compliance with gambling regulations in Victoria. Two additional cases are still before the Magistrates’ Court.
