The Ville Resort Casino has made a “not guilty” plea after facing charges of violating the casino laws of the state of Queensland.
The Office of Liquor and Gambling Regulation (OLGR) made the charges public in December 2022, several months after a local media hub reported that the Townsville casino has been facilitating alleged illegal junket operations. The programme, aired on Channel 9 in August 2022, claimed that The Ville Resort Casino, which is currently owned by business mogul Chris Morris, paid in cash and loyalty points to an illegal junket in return for the operator’s efforts to bring high-roller customers to the casino. At the time, the casino resort claimed there were factual inaccuracies in the report.
Breakwater Island Limited, which currently operates The Ville Resort Casino, faced charges with three counts of restriction on certain agreements.
Casino laws in the state of Queensland require special approval for certain arrangements or agreements, including junket operations.
On January 13th, 2023, the group, represented by its solicitor Richard Perry KC, officially pleaded “not guilty” in the Townsville Magistrates Court. The matter was adjourned and is set to return to court in March 2023. In a statement released by a spokesperson earlier today, The Ville Resort and Casino noted that, in its opinion, it had followed the Office of Liquor and Gambling Regulation’s procedures and operated lawfully.
The Ville Resort Casino Faced Charges after Media Reports and Allegations of Misconduct
Apart from pleading “not guilty” and claiming that it operated in line with the law and continued to take its obligations seriously, the casino resort’s spokesperson confirmed that The Ville Resort Casino received the brief of evidence from the Queensland gambling regulatory body on December 9th, 2022.
The spokesperson further explained that the group was currently reviewing the evidence with its legal representatives. They shared that The Ville Resort Casino had entered a “not guilty” plea to all the three charges mentioned above because it strongly believed that it has followed the Office of Liquor and Gambling Regulation’s approved procedures.
As Casino Guardian previously reported, Queensland’s regulator has held months of investigation over the allegations that the luxury casino resort had facilitated the operation of an illegal junket operator, after in February 2022 it learned some claims regarding unapproved agreements between The Ville Resort Casino and a junket operator.
Under the current legislative rules, some agreements or arrangements of local casino operators need to get the competent watchdog’s approval in order to take place. In December 2022, the Office of Liquor and Gambling Regulation in Queensland announced that The Ville Resort Casino had faced charges of violation of two sections of the Casino Control Act. The casino operator, however, rejects the accusations, saying it had operated in line with the provisions of Queensland’s casino gambling legislation.
- Author
Olivia Cole
