Crown Casino, one of the largest gambling operators in Australia, could suffer a hefty fine by local regulatory authorities, over the allegations of illegally modifying the betting buttons of approximately 20 of its poker machines. According to media reports, sources familiar with the matter have told the ABC News that the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) is expected to announce the penalty as early as tomorrow.
Rumour has it that the monetary penalty could amount to up to AU$300,000 and will include a letter of censure, too, requiring from Crown Casino to operate under an updated compliance policy. Still, the punishment is likely to face the criticism of anti-gambling campaigners as too week, especially considering the fact that Crown’s casino venue in Melbourne reported revenue amounting to more than $1.1 billion for the first half of the current fiscal year.
The reports of the gambling regulator’s intentions comes only a couple of days after new allegations against the company emerged, with a former patron of Crown’s Melbourne casino property reaching Andrew Wilkie, an independent MP, revealing that she was encouraged by casino employees to have continuous and automatic gaming sessions. As revealed by the former gambler, the Melbourne casino staff provided her with special plastic picks allowing her to jam the betting buttons of the machines. In addition, she said that several loyalty cards were handed to her providing her with the opportunity to play a number of pokies simultaneously.
Crown Could Be Hit by Serious Charges
The problems of Crown Resorts’ Melbourne casino property started last year, with a number of whistleblowers who had previously worked for the casino accusing Crown in tempering with its poker machines, in a scheme known as “blanking buttons” in an attempt to make customers spend more time at the machines. According to whistleblowers’ claims, the casino staff members were instructed to remove betting options from certain poker machines.
Poker machines, also known as pokies, feature multiple betting options for each spin. According to whistleblowers’ allegations, the casino had instructed its employees to remove certain options in an attempt to boost players’ losses by forcing them to place higher bets.
After initially rejecting the accusations in button-blanking, Crown revealed that it had removed betting options on 17 of its 2,628 pokies over a three-week period in March and April 2017 for a trial. The new allegations, however, would probably result in more serious measures taken against the company, with the evidence being already presented by Mr. Wilkie to the competent authorities.
If the claims of the former high-roller are proved to be true, Crown Casino could face some very serious charges, as any modification of poker machines is a criminal activity in the state of Victoria. In addition, providing a player with any device that could allow them play automatic and continuous sessions is also a crime under the state laws.
- Author
Olivia Cole
