Crown Melbourne hit with AU$100K fine by VGCCC

Crown Melbourne has been targeted by the regulator in Victoria, with the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) slapping an AU$100,000 fine on the operator. The latest breach comes nearly four months after the VGCCC censured the property in a separate case, and has to do with Crown Melbourne leaving a self-excluded gambler spend nearly 15 hours playing without the staff realizing that the person ought not to have been permitted onto the premises.

VGCC CEO Suzy Neilan has criticized the omission and reminded operators of their obligations to ensure that vulnerable consumers are not allowed to gamble and that proper safeguards need to be put in place. Exclusion is a critical harm minimisation tool. It enables a clear barrier between an individual and the gambling environment, especially during moments of vulnerability, Neilan added, stressing the importance of preventing this from happening. The exact transgression lasted 14 hours and 40 minutes, the VGCCC’s investigation specified, and it took place in August of last year. The accident was compounded by the fact that Crown Melbourne was not initially aware of the issue and only realized after a VGCCC inspector notified it. The VGCCC maintained that the property lacked adequate measures to prevent such incidents at the time and said that it expected Crown Melbourne to introduce improved mechanisms. This incident highlights the challenges of enforcing exclusions, but also the importance of continuous improvement and vigilance. Crown Melbourne must ensure that its procedures are constantly assessed so that the likelihood of an excluded person entering the casino is minimal. Australia has launched a new federal-level effort to help players exclude themselves from excessive gambling, with BetStop reporting about 40,000 total registrations as of April this year.