Crown Resorts has been fined AU$2 million (US$1.3 million) by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) for allowing 242 people who had self-excluded to place bets at Crown Melbourne’s casino over an eight-month period between October 2023 and May 2024.
According to information from the regulator, the breaches were detected through its ongoing monitoring of the casino’s operations. The breaches were due to system and control failures rather than deliberate or egregious disregard by Crown of its regulatory obligations, the VGCCC said.
“It is an offence under the Casino Control Act 1991 (Vic) to allow an excluded person, including anyone who has self-excluded, to enter, remain or gamble in the casino,” said VGCCC Chair Fran Thorn. “It also contravenes Crown Melbourne’s obligation to protect people at risk of gambling harm.
“Those who self-exclude must be able to trust that gambling providers will take all reasonable steps to enforce their decision to avail themselves of this harm prevention initiative.
“By allowing people who have self-excluded to enter the casino and gamble, Crown has put them at risk of experiencing further gambling harm. However, it is also clear that a number of these self-excluded patrons are going to considerable lengths to avoid detection and break their exclusion requirements.”
The VGCCC added that it has issued a direction to Crown to engage an independent expert to assess the effectiveness of, and make recommendations for improving, the management of its self-exclusion program.
“In due course, Crown will be required to implement the independent expert’s recommendations,” Thorn said.
Crown has previously paid a total of AU$700 million (US$470 million) in fines and settlements for the compliance failures that originally led to it being found unsuitable to run its casinos in Victoria, NSW and Perth, including an AU$450 million settlement agreement with financial crimes watchdog AUSTRAC.
The company has side returned to suitability in Victoria and NSW.
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