In 2023–24, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) took 88 disciplinary actions against gambling licensees and employees, demonstrated zero tolerance for betting on or by minors, and began implementing a new risk-based, intelligence-led regulatory approach.

Tabled in Victoria’s Parliament, the VGCCC annual report demonstrates a commitment to ensuring gambling providers not only live up to the letter of the law but abide by its spirit.

“Our regulatory response is proportionate to the risks posed and harms caused when a gambling operator fails to comply with its obligations,” VGCCC Chair Fran Thorn said.

“We have no tolerance for deliberate or opportunistic contraventions of the law and will not hesitate to take appropriate action when we detect a breach.”

During the year, the VGCCC undertook more than 1600 audits, completed 2770 inspections of venues across the state, including a regional blitz, and brought 10 successful prosecutions.

Disciplinary action was taken against various licensees, including Tabcorp and the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH). They included fining:

• Tabcorp $1 million for repeated failure to comply with directions during a VGCCC investigation into a major system outage

• ALH $480,000 for operating poker machines at 8 venues outside of nominated trading hours and failing to observe mandatory shutdown periods

• Myndit Pty Ltd, the former operator of the Rye Hotel, $80,000 for multiple breaches of cheque payment and financial record-keeping requirements. On one occasion, Myndit paid a cheque for poker machine winnings to a person who was not in the venue at the time the winnings were accrued.

Ms Thorn highlighted the success of the VGCCC’s new tip-off function, which makes it easier for members of the public to anonymously report inappropriate or suspicious conduct.

“In the first year, we received more than 260 tip-offs across a range of issues,” she said.

Following an online complaint from a member of the public, the VGCCC investigated and prosecuted bookmaker Bluebet Pty Ltd for illegally displaying gambling advertising on a public road. The company was found guilty of 43 charges and fined $50,000.

“We also worked with the AFL to implement tighter controls for Brownlow Medal voting and betting following reports that an umpire allegedly leaked the results of round-by-round voting in 2022.

“And in response to community concerns, we engaged with sports controlling bodies to successfully ban betting in Victoria on all under-19 sporting competitions and the performance of individual players under the age of 18 in junior and senior sports.”

In March 2024, after 2 years under the supervision of the government-appointed Special Manager, the VGCCC determined Crown Melbourne was fit to hold the casino licence.

“The licence comes with strict operating conditions, including that Crown continue its reform program under a 3-year Transformation Plan against which it will be held to account,” Ms Thorn said.

“We have a responsibility to ensure gambling activities in Victoria are conducted in compliance with regulatory obligations and providers operate safely, fairly and with integrity.”

Ainsworth Game Technology Ltd expects its second-half profit before tax to be down sequentially, despite an increase in revenue.

The Australia-listed firm said it anticipated profit before tax for the six months to December 31 – excluding currency exchange impacts and one-off items – to be in the range of AUD8 million (US$5.2 million) to AUD10 million. That would be in comparison to the AUD14-million profit achieved in the first half this year.

Revenue for the July to December period is expected to “show an estimated growth of 12 percent” compared to the AUD121.4 million reported in the six months to June 30, Ainsworth said in a Wednesday filing.

The company said the estimate was “based on preliminary management forecasts, subject to period end closure and audit procedures”.

“These results reflect the positive momentum achieved across the business,” stated the firm.

It added: “All geographical regions experienced solid growth in the period apart from the digital segment which suffered an initial decline following the reduced contributions from Game Account Network Ltd (GAN), following the acceleration of revenue arising from the termination of exclusivity arrangements reflected in the first half of calendar year 2024.”

Ainsworth however noted that gross margins were “negatively impacted” compared to the first half of 2024, “which was the primary factor contributing to the lower profitability experienced in the period”.

The firm said it expects full-year 2024 gross margin to be “approximately 62 percent” compared to the reported margin of about 67 percent in the first half this year.

“The forecasted margin has been adversely affected by a range of factors, including product mix of products sold within Latin America, competitive market conditions and the under recovery of production variances expensed in the current period,” noted the gaming supplier.

Ainsworth’s chief executive, Harald Neumann, said: “I am encouraged by the growth in revenue in the period and expect growth to continue in coming periods as we release the next suite of game offerings across our global markets.”

Mr Neumann said the initiatives undertaken by the company were showing “progressive improvements in game performance” within the markets where the company operates.

“Additional game releases and hardware initiatives are expected to maintain the growth experienced in coming periods,” added the CEO.

In Tuesday’s filing, Ainsworth also said it had “experienced a cybersecurity incident,” which was “currently under investigation and assessment”.

“Despite some disruptions experienced in internal business systems and operations, through cautionary measures implemented, it is currently not expected that this incident will have any material adverse impact on the forecasted results” for the second half this year, stated the firm.

Australian wagering giant Tabcorp selects French supplier PandaScore as its dedicated esports data and odds provider

One of Australia’s biggest operators, Tabcorp, has partnered with specialist esports supplier PandaScore to expand its esports offering in Australia.

Tabcorp will initially incorporate PandaScore’s esports data and odds services for the Big 3 esports titles: Counter-Strike, League of Legends and Dota 2. Tabcorp is keen on integrating the full suite of PandaScore titles, markets and products to drive future expansion in esports.

The agreement will see Tabcorp offer an expanded range of markets and market lines, including PandaScore’s lucrative player markets.

Powered by PandaScore’s market-leading esports products, Tabcorp’s multichannel distribution will see its levelled up esports offering available over digital and physical options, including web, mobile app, betting shops and terminals in licensed venues.

For Tabcorp Trading General Manager, David Beirne, “this partnership with PandaScore is invaluable to our investment in esports. It gives us access to dedicated esports trading and odds creation services for the most popular titles, with eyes to build out a full esports offering fit for the next generation of bettors. This partnership is another step in creating the ultimate sports entertainment experience for our customers.”

Oliver Niner, Head of B2B at PandaScore stated that he’s “very excited about working with one of the biggest operators in Australia. Tabcorp is an Australian institution with outstanding visibility and market penetration and a pedigree for success. Rolling out our best-in-class esports products to a market leader in Australia builds on our existing successes in this market, and it’s one we’re confident we can continue fostering growth in.”