Australia
BUSINESSES URGED TO REMAIN COVID COMPLIANT AND KEEP NSW SAFE
The NSW hospitality industry is being put on notice with numerous serious breaches of COVID compliance being detected by Liquor & Gaming NSW inspectors.
Liquor & Gaming Director of Compliance Dimitri Argeres said the developing situation in Victoria is a timely reminder for businesses to remain vigilant as inspectors are still out checking COVID compliance, and that there are no excuses for not requiring patrons to sign-in with the Service NSW QR Code.
“The most recent breaches were detected last week during a COVID compliance blitz on the Central Coast with two venues, Munchas Café at Shelly Beach and BFF Café in Woy Woy, found to be not enforcing patron sign-in using the Service NSW QR code. The BFF Café was also found to have an out-of-date COVID Safety Plan and their physical sign-in register had not been digitised,” Mr Argeres said.
“The courts have also fined three Sydney hospitality businesses a total of $5,400 this month for breaches, sending a strong message to the industry about the importance of COVID compliance.
“This is in addition to restaurants Sushi Hon and Pho Tonkin being fined $5,000 each for COVID non-compliance this month, after a Sydney blitz targeting COVID safety and venues involved in the NSW Government’s Dine & Discover program.
“At this stage of the pandemic, there is simply no excuse for not complying with the check-in requirements. Businesses must be vigilant with their QR code check-in, as this data will be vital in contact tracing if NSW experiences an outbreak like Victoria. Significant penalties, including closure of a venue, apply for non-compliance.
“The majority of clusters in NSW have centred around hospitality venues because of the ease with which the COVID virus can spread in enclosed indoor areas, so it is vital restaurants continue to stay COVID safe.
“There have been some changes and businesses must remain up-to-date. But what has not changed is having robust, digital check in processes that allows for effective contact tracing in the event a positive case has visited the venue.
“Contact tracing is essential in maintaining the health of NSW and helps keeps businesses safe and open. Our inspectors will continue to undertake both uniformed and plain clothes inspections, so if you’re breaking the rules you run a high risk of receiving a hefty fine or a closure in the event of repeat offending,” he said.
Recent court cases relating to breaches of the COVID-19 Public Health Orders include:
On 11 September 2020, L&G Inspectors attended the Ship Inn in Sydney to conduct a COVID-19 compliance check. They found the gaming machines were not spaced 1.5m apart, as required by their COVID-19 Safety Plan. The owner was given a 12-month conditional release order and ordered to pay costs of $3,000.
On 4 November 2020, L&G Inspectors attended the Three Brothers Bakery in Liverpool to conduct a COVID-19 compliance check and found they didn’t have a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place. The owner was found guilty and fined $400.
On 17 November 2020, L&G Inspectors attended Fujiyama Japanese Cuisine restaurant in Bankstown to conduct COVID-19 compliance check. They were convicted of not having a COVID Safety Plan, not capturing or digitising all patron records, and not having conditions of entry posted, and fined $2,000.
For more information on NSW COVID Safe Check-in and record keeping requirements visit the Service NSW website.
Australia
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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.
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