Australia’s largest gambling company, Tabcorp, has received a fine of almost $10,000 (converted to USD from AUD 15,000) for its recent violation of New South Wales’ advertising rules. According to Liquor & Gaming NSW, the gambling company induced visitors of its website to gamble.

The advert was visible to anyone who visited Tabcorp’s website, regardless if they were a registered customer or not. Tabcorp later justified the promotion as the result of an “internal failing.”

Under New South Wales’ rules on gambling advertisement, any offers that encourage people to gamble are strictly forbidden. Overall, NSW prohibits companies from inducing players to play, open accounts, keep their account open or consent to receive promotions. As a result, the Australian gambling giant will have to pay the aforementioned fine.

Speaking on the matter, Liquor & Gaming NSW’s executive director of regulatory operations, Jane Jin, reprimanded Tabcorp, saying that an operator of its size should know better and have more robust internal controls to prevent the publication of such gambling inducements.

Jin noted that gambling operators should instead offer gambling promotions to existing betting account holders who have made the decision to play and have consented to receiving such inducements. She concluded:

However, wagering operators can’t advertise or promote inducements such as offers of increased odds or bonus bets to entice people to open a betting account or to gamble more frequently.

Jane Jin, exec director of regulatory operations, Liquor & Gaming NSW

Tabcorp Was Also Fined in Victoria

Several days ago, Tabcorp also found itself in hot water in the state of Victoria. In that case, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission filed charges against eight venues, as well as Tabcorp, saying that they’ve allowed minors to gamble.

Tabcorp, among other entities, was accused of not having sufficient monitoring controls and social responsibility protocols. As a result of this serious violation, the company faced a fine of up to AUD 698,997 ($450,000).

VGCCC’s chief executive officer, Annette Kimmitt, emphasized that allowing minors to gamble is one of the most serious offenses a gambling company can commit. She said:

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.

Annette Kimmitt, CEO, VGCCC

Earlier this month, the Australian Taxation Office agreed to return $53 million to Tabcorp, following the resolution of a tax dispute.

The post Tabcorp Slapped with a New Fine, This Time in NSW appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Crown Resorts, one of Australia’s leading casino operators, has been hit with a substantial fine of AUD20 million ($13.8 million) by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC). The issue was initially uncovered during the 2021 Royal Commission probe into Crown Melbourne, which revealed that Crown had disguised promotional costs as winnings in order to claim tax deductions.

Crown Resorts Concealed Tax Failings, VGCCC Discovers

The VGCCC discovered the tax failings among the extensive documents disclosed by Crown during the Royal Commission probe, reported The Sydney Morning Herald. The commission also found that Crown had deliberately concealed the nature of these deductions.

Crown Melbourne, the flagship casino of the company, has accepted its wrongdoing and has paid approximately AUD61.5 million ($42.4 million) to the state of Victoria. This amount includes unpaid casino tax of about AUD37.4 million ($25.7 million) and penalty interest of approximately AUD24.1 million ($16.6 million). The AUD20 million fine imposed by the VGCCC is in addition to these payments.

Fran Thorn, the chairperson of the VGCCC, stated that Crown’s breach of its tax obligations and its efforts to conceal the improper deductions were unacceptable. Thorn emphasized the importance of gaming licensees complying with their tax obligations and maintaining transparency in their dealings with regulators. As a result of Crown’s actions, the VGCCC has imposed a significant fine to send a strong message that such behavior will face severe disciplinary action.

Crown Resorts’ Chief Vows Cultural Overhaul

Crown Melbourne’s chief, Mike Volkert, expressed the company’s acceptance of the outcome and its commitment to a cultural overhaul under new ownership. Crown Resorts was acquired by Blackstone Capital for AUD8.9 billion ($6.1 billion) in May of last year. Volkert assured regulators and stakeholders of Crown’s dedication to open and transparent relationships, improved internal controls, and regulatory reporting requirements.

This is not the first time Crown has faced substantial penalties. Earlier this year, the company and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) proposed an AUD450 million ($309.8 million) penalty for extensive anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism failings at Crown Perth and Crown Melbourne. If approved, this penalty would be one of the largest in Australian corporate history.

Crown Resorts has been under scrutiny since 2019 when an investigation revealed its vulnerability to international criminal syndicates and money launderers. Subsequent government inquiries have deemed the company unfit to hold a casino license, preventing the opening of its high-rise casino at Sydney’s Barangaroo. The ongoing legal and regulatory challenges have forced Crown to reevaluate its practices and work towards regaining trust and compliance with industry standards.

The post Crown Resorts Slapped with $14M Fine for Tax Obligation Breach appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Two casinos in Iowa have been fined by the local regulator for breaching the state’s gambling regulations. The properties in question are Diamond Jo Worth Casino and Horseshoe Casino, Radio Iowa, a local news outlet, reported.

The first of the two properties, as noted by Brian Ohorilko, administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, was fined for allowing an underage player to gamble. The player remained unchallenged and played for two hours and a half, Ohorilko said.

The breach dates to May 2022 and was due to the security workers failing to request ID. Because of its incompliance, Diamond Jo Worth was forced to pay a fine of $20,000. This is the fine the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission typically hands when casinos breach this rule for the first time.

The second breach came from Horseshoe Casino which failed to properly help a person exclude themselves from gambling. The person came to the casino and played for some time before asking a security officer about self-exclusion schemes. Unfortunately, the casino did not have anyone to help the customer enroll in the statewide self-exclusion program at the time.

While the casino did what it could and redirected the player to another casino where they successfully excluded themselves, in doing so, it breached the local regulations. Since Horseshoe Casino was unable to help its player, it received a fine of $20,000. As per Iowan rules, each casino should have someone who can enroll a customer at their request.

An Online Sportsbook Was also Fined

The two casinos were not the only gambling entities that received a fine. The local gambling authority also slapped the online sportsbook Rush Street Interactive with a similar fine. According to the regulator, the sports betting brand allowed people to charge their accounts using their credit cards – something that is strictly forbidden in the state.

It was noted that the operator had accepted as many as 42 credit card transactions. In total, customers collectively added almost $10,000 into their accounts using credit cards. As a result of its violation, Rush Street Interactive had to pay a fine of $20,000.

While the problem here was due to the payments company working with Rush Street Interactive, the operator should have been more careful when implementing its payment solutions. Ohorilko noted that the payment provider’s other partners have also been fined for similar violations.

The post Iowa Regulator Slapped Local Operators with Fines over Various Violations appeared first on Keno Wizard.