Author: Daniel Williams

A person with inside knowledge of the casino sector in Queensland said that the local regulatory body has been “asleep at the wheel” after it was revealed that the state’s watchdog has not prosecuted any casino operator in the state over the past five years. Currently, the oversight of the four casinos in Queensland – Brisbane’s Treasury Casino, The Star Gold Coast, Cairns’ The Reef Hotel Casino, and Townsville’s The Ville Resort-Casino – has been carried out by the Office of Liquor and Gambling Regulation (OLGR). The Brisbane and Gold…

Modified Australian news stories have been used in Facebook posts to promote mobile gambling applications. Reportedly, videos posted on the social media platform and viewed tens of thousands of times showed altered Nine News reports regarding mobile gambling apps which, according to the information in these reports, have turned gamblers into millionaires. The reports, however, are not genuine. As a spokesperson for Nine News officially revealed, the Facebook videos depicted altered versions of genuine news reports of the media hub without authorisation. One of the Facebook posts included a 38-second…

The Government of the Northern Territory (NT) has quietly released four reports regarding the social cost of gambling and the negative consequences of gambling-related harm. According to the Menzies School of Health Research, which compiled “The Social Costs of Gambling harms in the NT” report, the social costs of gambling in the Northern Territory were estimated at more than AU$190 million on an annual basis. These costs include not only the impact that gambling has on people at risk but also the harm caused to other residents of the state.…

The relationship between gambling and crime has become the centrepiece of a new UK study. The results of the research clearly showed that increased gambling eventually leads to increased crime rates, too, but some experts believe those results may be biased. A series of articles by Will Grimond, a data reported using information from a local charity seeking reforms in the UK – the Howard League – was published across some regional news hubs at the beginning of the week, including London World, Sussex Express, and Liverpool World. In these…

The inquiries held into the largest gambling and casino groups in Australia have seen serious allegations emerge. As Casino Guardian reported, the Bergin inquiry found that Casino Resorts has allowed money laundering to take place in its casinos, while at the same time partnering with junket operators with links to organised crime. On the other hand, another investigation found that Crown’s biggest competitor – the Star Entertainment Group – has disguised illegal debit and credit card payments of Chinese nationals as accommodation expenses and has sent false documents to its…

On September 20th, the Victorian Parliament passed extensive restrictions on the operations of Crown Melbourne in response to the recommendations made by the Royal Commission following its investigation into the operations of the Australian gambling giant. Under the new rules, the casino customers will be required to set limits on both the time and money spent at the gambling venue’s premises. The Royal Commission inquiry found that Crown Resorts engaged in gambling laws violations, including links to foreign criminal organisations, facilitating money laundering, and other instances of exploitative and illegal…

The Labour Party in Tasmania has not yet established an opinion on whether it should support the mandatory pre-commitment scheme for poker machines unveiled by the state Government, with one frontbencher being unsure how to answer certain questions that have been asked about it. At a press conference that took place in Launceston on September 19th, Member of Parliament Janie Finlay faced questions on whether the Labour Party backed the card-based scheme of the Government that would see the users of so-called pokies set betting limits before they start gambling.…

An increasing number of parents seem to be planning to make a submission to a federal parliamentary inquiry into the Australian online gambling sector and the harmful impacts it has on vulnerable people, such as children and problem gamblers. The nationwide parliamentary inquiry was announced on September 15th and would involve issues such as loot boxes and advertising on live sports betting services. As Casino Guardian reported, the probe into present regulations of the Australian online gambling industry is set to be heard by Peta Murphy MP, the chair of…

A nationwide parliamentary inquiry focused on people hooked on online gambling will involve issues such as advertising of live sports betting services and so-called loot boxes available in video games. A probe into online gambling and its impact on gambling addicts, as well as underage individuals, will be heard by the chair of the standing committee on social policy in the lower house of Parliament, Peta Murphy MP, who has previously shared with her colleagues that she is willing to further crack down on gambling advertising during sports events. She…

The Government of Tasmania announced a special, “nation-leading” pre-commitment scheme that would make sure local residents will be prevented from spending over AU$5,000 a year on pokies unless they file an application to increase their limit. The new cashless card, which is expected to be officially implemented in the state by the end of 2024, will be mandatory. It will feature default poker machine spending limits of AU$100 per day and $500 per month but players will be allowed to adjust these limits upwards or downwards. However, the authorities said…