Victoria’s regulator has hit Tabcorp and the Preston Hotel with multiple charges and launched a wider investigation over reports of minors being allowed to gamble.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) alleges staff at the Preston Hotel allowed a 16-year-old to access electronic betting terminals and place bets on six occasions, between May and September last year.
The Hotel faces 15 charges, including the six counts of allowing a minor to gamble and failing to reasonably supervise betting terminals, as well as three charges of allowing a minor to enter a gaming machine area.
These charges could attract a maximum fine of $221,904, being 1,200 penalty units.
Tabcorp faces eight charges, as the holder of the statewide Wagering and Betting licence. These include four counts of both allowing a minor to gamble and failing to reasonably supervise a gambling vending machine. The maximum penalty is $103,505, being 560 penalty units.
Investigations at the Preston were triggered when the VGCCC received a complaint, and investigations now continue into other venues.
“While electronic betting terminals are legal gambling products, they should not be easy for minors to access and use,” says Glorija Kuzman, Gambling Director for the VGCCC.
“Venue operators and Tabcorp are responsible for ensuring they are appropriately supervised at all times.”
Kuzman described the fact that a minor was able to access the self-service betting terminals as “deeply concerning” and stresses that gambling is one of the most serious harms on minors.
“All gambling operators – including venues and the holder of the state-wide Wagering and Betting licence – have an irrefutable legal requirement to do everything they can to stop children from gambling.
“All gaming venues must ensure they do not accept a bet from a minor and ask for identification from anyone they suspect could be underage.”