The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) ordered Tabcorp to make almost all of its Electronic Betting Terminals (EBTs) cashless. The statewide direction is issued because of various incidents when minors are caught while gambling on them, which is illegal in the province.
Betting terminals regulations:
From late January, the only betting terminals that will be able to continue receiving the cash bets will be the ones that are within five meters and within sight of the counter.
Tabcorp has about 1.800 terminals in the province, and about 70% of them will be obligated to accept only vouchers and prohibit cash bets.
In order to get the voucher, the players will have to submit their ID to the counter, and if they’re younger than 25, they won’t be allowed to place bets.
The company will also be obligated to begin its “mystery shopper” program in order to make sure all venues are checking the IDs of its customers. The venues that don’t comply with the new regulations will have to pay a penalty, and Tabcorp will be obligated to terminate the contracts with such venues.
This isn’t the first time the VGCCC found out that Tabcorp does something that doesn’t comply with the law. In the last eight months, Tabcorp and nine venues have been accused of various violations, including allowing minors to access the area with gaming machines and place their bets. On top of that, the company didn’t supervise the Electronic Betting Terminals as they were supposed to do.
Potentially huge fines for Tabcorp:
One case was already heard in court, and a fine of $25.300 was issued to Preston Hotel because the venue allowed a teenager to gamble back in 2022.
Annette Kimmit, the CEO of VGCCC, said in a press release: “It is inexcusable to accept a bet from a minor and tougher actions are required to protect the community, especially children, from gambling harm. Venue staff are the first line of defense in protecting minors from gambling. We have taken decisive measures where they have failed to take their responsibilities seriously. These stronger identity checks not only represent an additional barrier to allowing children to gamble but will also help prevent money laundering. The VGCCC will actively monitor these safeguards to reduce harm, and venues should take note and act to uphold their duty to care for the community.”
The minors who gamble are a direct violation of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003, and Tabcorp allegedly breached it several times between September 8, 2022, and October 20, 2023.
In total, Tabcorp is responsible for 72 breaches when it comes to minor gambling and failing to supervise the company’s Electronic Betting Terminals. The fine that the company could pay if the accusations prove true can be up to $969.236,40.
The investigation began shortly after the public issued a complaint.
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