The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has issued a fine to Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) after three separate breaches in 2024 involving minors entering poker machine areas across its venues. ALH pleaded guilty to six charges and received an AU$ 38,000 fine without conviction from the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria. The group has also been ordered to cover AU$ 40,000 in legal costs.

Repeat breaches at multiple venues raise concerns:

The incidents occurred at three different ALH-operated properties and spanned four dates in 2024. According to the VGCCC, the company self-reported all infractions, a step Commission CEO Suzy Neilan acknowledged as a constructive gesture.

“Being accountable for wrongdoing demonstrates integrity, which has been a focus of the VGCCC’s ongoing work with gambling operators,” Neilan stated. However, she emphasized that proactive compliance is essential: “But it’s not enough to own up after the fact. Venues must be proactive about ensuring that minors do not access poker machine areas by ensuring they have in place appropriate systems, processes and staff.”

Among the six charges brought against ALH, two stemmed from an incident at Cramers Hotel in Preston. On 24 January 2024, a 17-year-old accessed the poker machine area multiple times without being asked for identification, despite several interactions with venue staff. Only the next day, after the teen left personal items near a machine, did staff intervene.

Another breach took place on 24 April 2024 at the Excelsior Hotel in Thomastown. A child entered the gambling area accompanied by two adults and, while seated next to one of them, interacted directly with a poker machine by pressing buttons before they were removed from the area.

The final incident occurred on 27 September 2024, when a 14-year-old boy managed to enter the gaming area of the Mountain View Hotel in Glen Waverley and played on a poker machine before staff took action.

Each incident resulted in two charges: one for allowing a minor into a poker machine room and another for permitting the minor to gamble.

VGCCC urges industry to take preventative measures:

While the VGCCC acknowledged ALH’s decision to self-report, Neilan made it clear that this does not absolve venues of their responsibility. She noted that the presence of minors in gaming areas highlights systemic gaps that need to be addressed industry-wide.

“Operators should undertake a risk assessment and put in place controls to prevent minors from entering gambling areas,” she said in the press release. “Some examples of controls could include displaying clear signage that the poker machine room is for adults only and checking the identification of anyone who appears under 25 years of age.”

The Commission expressed particular concern over repeat violations, with Neilan stating it is “not acceptable that any Victorian clubs and hotels – in this case, the Cramers and Excelsior hotels – were repeat offenders.”

Although the AU$ 38,000 fine was imposed without conviction, the presiding Magistrate made it known that a conviction and a significantly higher penalty—AU$ 90,000—would have been issued if ALH had not pleaded guilty.

Neilan concluded by urging all venues to reassess their internal policies and training practices to ensure compliance: “I encourage all hotels and clubs to review their operations, including staff training, and consider making any adjustments required to ensure compliance with the law.”