VGCCC imposes AU$550,000 fine on ALH

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has handed down its latest penalty concerning breaches of the state’s gambling regulations. In this particular case, the regulator has gone after the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) which will have to pay a $550,000 penalty. The company is fined over lack of YourPlay technology available for 220 machines, the VGCCC has specified.

YourPlay is the technology that allows consumers to set limits to their play, which helps them tackle problem gambling in the long run and is an actionable and worthwhile way to control gambling spend and gambling habits.

The program is also designed to help gamblers make informed decisions and generally approach gambling in a safer environment. ALH will also have to cover AU$50,000 in legal costs incurred by the regulator. Thanks to the program, players can set loss limits and not overspend.

The case dates back to November last year when the ALH was charged with 62 counts of failure to ensure that YourPlay was available at 62 of its venues. ALH operates 77 venues with gaming machines in total.

The ALH has not received the stiffest penalty in the matter either, with the hospitality group’s willingness to cooperate in fact lessening the maximum penalty in similar cases from AU$1.35 million to only AU$550,000. However, the ALH has received a stern reminder of its obligations to player safety.

"This outcome demonstrates the VGCCC’s commitment to pursuing those operators who opportunistically or deliberately contravene their obligations to protect the community from gambling harm," said VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM, adding that gambling companies and licensees need to observe their obligations towards customers to the letter.

"The consequences of getting it wrong could be significant," Kimmitt AM added. The regulator emphasized how important YourPlay was in reducing gambling harm and still said that the VGCCC was not comfortable with the way ALH carried itself in the matter.

This is not the largest penalty issued by the regulator to date after the VGCCC struck Crown Resorts with AU$20m in June this year.

The regulator has been determined to uphold gambling laws in the country at a time of rapid reregulation that is seeing everything – from consumer protection to gambling advertisement undergo a profound change not just on a state-by-state basis, but also on a national level.

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