The gambling regulatory body of New South Wales (NSW) investigates venues of Marlow Hotel Group and their practices to lure problem gamblers hooked on so-called pokies with cash and alcohol.
This is not the first time when Marlow Hotel Group falls under the scrutiny of the NSW gambling watchdog. Recently, the company has become a target of the regulatory body for a different, and yet similar, reason. The operator, which owns The Rose and Crown, has already faced an AU$107,358 fine for offering problem gamblers illegal loans and alcohol drinks to encourage them to spend more time on poker machines.
The local regulator, Liquor and Gaming NSW, has started a probe against the company and its allegedly unfair practices after receiving evidence from a former employee of the operator and two customers, who have decided to cast more light on Marlow Hotel Group’s approach to keep its customers interested on the gambling products offered in its premises.
Allegedly, the Sydney-based hotel group has demonstrated resourcefulness in identifying the players who spent more time in the venue’s bars gambling on the slots by offering them free cash and alcohol to lure them into spending even more time doing that.
The managing director of the hotel and casino company, Jason Marlow, has revealed that special incentives cards have no longer been used by Marlow Hotel Group for more than three years. However, the investigation is yet set to find whether this is true.
Special Gambling Incentives Cannot Be Converted into Cash, According to NSW Laws
For the time being, gamblers in New South Wales are not banned from receiving promotional items from local gambling operators. However, these items cannot be worth more than AU$1,000 and cannot be converted into cash.
Allegedly, Marlow Hotel Group has granted its customers incentives worth AU$1,050 per customer. Reports have claimed that the secretive cards were originally charged with daily credit worth AU$150 and gamblers were allowed to use them for purchasing cigarettes and food but they were also allowed to withdraw cash.
The former employee of the hotel and casino group revealed that so-called high-roller customers were provided with more privileges, as they were offered an abundance of food and alcoholic drinks, both of which were identified as “miscellaneous” or “wastage” on the corporate books. The hotel and casino company’s ex-employee further shared some stories of people who had faced serious problems as a result of their addictions. One of the most distinguished characters was a lady who managed to lose an inherited property worth more than AU$1 million because of her problem gambling.
Now Marlow Hotel Group is facing criticism over its mischievous practices because gambling and alcohol addictions can often go together and could have unpredictable effects on people who suffer from them.
According to campaigners, the largest casino operators in Australia – Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment – have already inflicted a great deal of damage to the reputation of the country’s gambling sector. Smaller gambling groups, such as Marlow Hotel Group, however, have also been contributing to the controversial reputation of the sector, not to mention they have seriously fuelled the problem because poker machines are allowed to be situated not only in casinos but in venues such as hotels, clubs and pubs.
- Author
Olivia Cole
