Australia
Queensland Parliament Passes New Laws Restricting Cash Gambling at Casinos
The Queensland Parliament has passed new laws restricting cash gambling at casinos. New laws will increase regulatory scrutiny and enhance the integrity of Queensland casinos, with a focus on reducing gambling harm.
The reforms enable the government to implement the remaining recommendations of the Review of the Queensland operations of The Star Entertainment Group by the Honourable Robert Gotterson AO KC.
It marks the second raft of substantial legislative changes to the Casino Control Act 1982 in the past two years.
Under the legislation, casinos will be required to:
- implement mandatory carded play for certain games and activities, with restrictions on the use of cash, as well as mandatory pre-commitment, with time limits and enforced player breaks
- issue player cards and collect information relating to play and provide certain de-identified data to the regulator
- comply with an enforceable code of conduct to be defined in a regulation
- pay a supervision levy to the government to cover the costs of casino regulation and to fund harm minimisation programs
- take steps to exclude people who are banned from interstate casinos by an interstate police commissioner.
The legislation increases regulatory scrutiny, requiring Queensland casinos to undergo a periodic review of their operations and suitability at least every five years. Certain outdated and potentially stigmatising language was also removed from the legislation.
The reforms also enhance and modernise casino inspectorate powers, by updating the way inspectors may request information and allowing them to interview minors and excluded persons on casino premises (if the minor or excluded person is found on the premises).
The new laws represent the second set of substantial reforms to the Casino Control Act in the past two years.
Previous reforms implemented by the government in 2022 removed barriers to disciplinary action and ensure that meaningful penalties could be levelled against casinos where warranted.
The earlier reforms, which allowed government to fine casino entities up to $100 million and appoint a special manager to oversee their operations, were key in disciplinary action taken against The Star Entertainment Group in December 2022.
Quotes attributable to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Yvette D’Ath:
“Queenslanders have the right to expect casinos are being operated lawfully and in a way that minimises harm.
“The new laws will help ensure Queensland casinos operate with integrity and that they have measures in place to prevent gambling harm and combat money laundering.
“Importantly, these reforms pave the way to implementing the remaining recommendations of the Gotterson Review, with the government now focused on developing the regulations required to enforce these reforms.”
Australia
Secretlab partners with Fluent Commerce for Order Management
Australia
ACMA: Tabcorp Pays $262,000 Penalty for Illegal In-Play Bets
Tabcorp Holdings Limited (Tabcorp) has paid a $262,920 penalty for taking online in-play sports bets, which is illegal in Australia.
An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found Tabcorp accepted 854 in-play bets across 69 tennis matches between April and October 2023.
Online in-play betting—wagers made on a sporting event after it has commenced—is prohibited in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
Authority member Carolyn Lidgerwood said the ban on online in-play betting is in place to protect vulnerable people.
“In-play betting increases access to gambling opportunities and exacerbates the risks of gambling harm, as people can place bets with high frequency on multiple outcomes during sporting events,” Ms Lidgerwood said.
“There has been significant growth in online sports betting in recent years and it’s important all online wagering services have systems in place so that illegal in-play bets are not accepted.”
During the investigation Tabcorp reported that the breaches occurred due to a technical “bug” in its systems. While the error first occurred in April 2023, it was not fixed until October 2023.
“Tabcorp is a major wagering operator and it is concerning that it took some 6 months for the system error to be identified and fixed,” Ms Lidgerwood said.
In addition to paying the $262,920 penalty, Tabcorp has also advised the ACMA of controls it now has in place and future steps it will be taking to minimise the risk of online in-play bets being accepted.
In its consideration of this matter the ACMA also took into account that Tabcorp had voided all bets so consumers did not suffer any loss and Tabcorp did not profit from the errors.
Tabcorp was previously issued a formal warning by the ACMA in November 2021 for accepting in-play bets on a United States college basketball game.
Australia
AUSTRAC and Pacific Financial Intelligence Units Gather in Brisbane to Tackle Financial Crime in the Region
Identifying ways to combat serious financial crime is the key focus when financial intelligence units (FIUs) from across the Pacific meet in Brisbane.
Representatives from 13 Pacific nations are gathering for the Pacific Financial Intelligence Community (PFIC) plenary, which is hosted by AUSTRAC.
The three-day event, which is now going on, provides a valuable opportunity for FIUs to further explore initiatives to fight financial crime. These include joint operations, intelligence sharing, capacity-building activities and region-wide technological enhancements.
Since last year’s meeting in the Cook Islands, PFIC members have focused their efforts on combating transnational organised crime, corruption and child sexual exploitation. AUSTRAC has worked with FIUs to ensure they have the training and capabilities required to proactively identify and tackle these crimes.
As well as ongoing themes such as money laundering, this year’s meeting will also address emerging issues such as illicit use of cryptocurrency, new payment platforms and gambling in the region.
AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said PFIC is a good example of the value strong regional partnerships bring to combating money laundering and other serious financial crime.
“As Australia’s financial intelligence unit, we’re not just focused on ensuring the security of Australia’s financial system, we also have a key role to play in working with our neighbours to combat the harms posed by criminal networks across the region,” Mr Thomas said.
“To put it into perspective, behind each of these crimes are people who are left devastated by the impacts of online scams, child sexual exploitation, environmental crimes or drug trafficking.
“PFIC was established by AUSTRAC and other regional partners in 2021 to promote greater collaboration among Pacific FIUs, and we’re so proud of the outcomes it’s already delivered.”
The Head of the Cook Islands FIU and outgoing Co-Chair of the PFIC, Mr Walter Henry, said he’s honoured to have played a leading role in PFIC over the last two years.
“Serious financial crime affects all of our nations, so we must work together to combat threats which undermine our financial security and community safety,” Mr Henry said.
“The PFIC has proven to be a vital channel for sharing intelligence, for working on capability enhancements and for staying across emerging threats and developments in technology.”
The Attorney-General will address the conference, to speak about Australia’s commitment to building strong regional partnerships to combat transnational financial crime, and ongoing efforts to strengthen Australia’s anti-money laundering system.
Representatives from the financial intelligence units of Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu will be in attendance.
AUSTRAC is the permanent Co-Chair of the forum. The Head of the Fiji FIU is scheduled to take on the rotating Co-Chair position at the end of this plenary meeting.
-
Latest News1 day ago
Make every pixel personal: Opera GX facelift lets you match your browser to your setup down to the smallest detail
-
Balkans6 days ago
EGT Digital’s iGaming platform X-Nave and successful titles to deliver high-quality experience to BetHub’s customers
-
Latest News1 day ago
Casino Management System Market to Reach USD 29.09 Billion by 2032 | Enhanced Security and Operational Efficiency Drive Growth | Research by S&S Insider
-
Asia7 days ago
Mascots Xiyangyang and Lerongrong ready for China’s 15th National Games
-
Australia7 days ago
ACMA: Tabcorp Pays $262,000 Penalty for Illegal In-Play Bets
-
Latest News6 days ago
AGREEMENT BETWEEN ZITRO AND GRUPO OSGA TO PROMOTE THE LABOT INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
-
Latest News6 days ago
Week 46/2024 slot games releases
-
Latest News1 day ago
Fast Track Celebrates Third Year as a Great Place to Work Certified™ Tech Company