In Australia, casino operator Crown Resorts Limited has reportedly been fined AU$300,000 ($225,000) by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation after it was found to have contravened the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 at its Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex.

According to a report from The Guardian newspaper, the firm was penalized after being found guilty of having breached regulations by hiding certain buttons on 17 slots inside the Melbourne facility’s casino during an around three-week period last year so that only the units’ maximum and minimum betting stakes were visible.

The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation reportedly ruled that Melbourne-based Crown Resorts Limited should have sought prior approval for the actions because these had led to machines of the same type being varied.

“Crown Resorts Limited’s failure to obtain approval means it has contravened the Gambling Regulation Act 2003,” reportedly read a statement from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. “This is the largest fine the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation has issued to Crown Resorts Limited and reflects the seriousness with which it considers the matter.”

In addition to the fine, the regulator furthermore reportedly asked Crown Resorts Limited to provide it with an updated compliance framework within the next six months detailing how it intends to keep such infringements from reoccurring.

However, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation reportedly accepted Crown Resorts Limited’s assertion that the breach had not been deliberate while additionally acknowledging that the Sydney-listed operator had fully cooperated with its investigation.

For its part, Crown Resorts Limited reportedly stated that the action had not impacted the altered slots’ return-to-player ratios and that it had believed the actions ‘did not require the prior approval’ of the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.