The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has charged Tabcorp along with eight venues for allegedly allowing a minor to gamble in breach of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003.

In total Tabcorp is facing 54 charges, including 27 counts of allowing a minor to gamble and failing to reasonably supervise its electronic betting terminals, while the venue operators and a TAB agency face allegations they allowed a minor to gamble on 27 occasions between 8 September and 1 November 2022.

The venues are the Olympic Hotel, the Brunswick Club, the Edwardes Lake Hotel, the Parkview Hotel, the Albion Charles Hotel, the Doncaster Hotel, the Rose Shamrock & Thistle Hotel and the Northcote TAB Agency.

The venue operators have been charged with allowing a minor to gamble, allowing a minor within a gaming machine area and failure to ensure gambling vending machines were reasonably supervised at all times.

The TAB agency has been charged with allowing a minor to gamble and failing to ensure reasonable supervision of its electronic betting terminals.

VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM said: “One of the most serious harms is allowing minors to gamble. All gambling venues must ensure they do not accept a bet from a minor and must ask for identification from anyone they suspect could be underage.”

If found guilty, the operators face a maximum collective fine of more than $1million, while Tabcorp could face a maximum fine of $698,997.60.

The VGCCC said that it launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from a member of the public.

For more exclusive content from Australian Hotelier, subscribe to our weekly newsletters here.

You can also join Australia’s largest network of pub professionals on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Andy Young

Andy joined Intermedia as Editor of The Shout in 2015, writing news on a daily basis and also writing features for National Liquor News. Now Managing Editor of both The Shout and Bars and Clubs.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *