- Published:
- Wednesday, 19 July 2023 at 1:14 pm
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has issued show cause notices to 2 gaming venue operators for repeatedly operating electronic gaming machines (EGMs) outside permitted hours of operation.
The breaches – across 8 gaming venues – stem from the venue operators’ failure to comply with requirements to only open their gaming room within hours outlined in their liquor licences and ensure there is at least one continuous 4-hour break from gaming every 24 hours.
The show cause notices require the venue operators to respond to detailed allegations and give them 28 days to explain why the Commission should not take disciplinary action. Penalties for breaches of this kind may include the cancellation or suspension of a venue operator’s licence, a change in their licence conditions, a letter of censure or fines.
The VGCCC discovered the breaches through ongoing monitoring of EGM data, which tracks a number of compliance indicators, including:
- play occurring on EGMs outside the permitted hours of operation
- EGMs not connected to the pre-commitment system, YourPlay
- irregular EGM activity that is suggestive of money laundering.
VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt said:
“Venue operators should know by now that we will not tolerate failure to provide gambling services responsibly. Venue operators are on notice to ensure they observe the trading hours for their electronic gaming machines as noted on their licences.
“These notices are a warning to venue operators all over Victoria that we are monitoring data from their electronic gaming machines and will uncover breaches.”
VGCCC monitoring has also identified 7 metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) where 24-hour gambling is available to the community because of the staggered closing times adopted by venues. These are Brimbank, Frankston, Hume, Knox, Maribrynong, Melbourne and Monash.
Additionally, the use of staggered closing times has resulted in a third of all LGAs in Victoria providing access to gambling for more than 22 hours a day.
The VGCCC therefore welcomes as a key harm minimisation measure the proposed reform to gaming venue hours announced by the Victorian Government on Sunday 16 July. A standard period of closure between 4am and 10am will ensure that the current access to 24-hour gambling within some LGAs will no longer be possible.
Updated