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VGCCC imposes record fines totalling $120 million on Crown Melbourne for Responsible Service of Gambling breaches

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The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has taken disciplinary action against Crown Melbourne for failing its Responsible Service of Gambling obligations, imposing two fines totalling $120 million.

The Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence found that Crown:

  • breached its code of conduct for the Responsible Service of Gambling over many years by consistently failing to intervene to prevent gambling harm allowing customers to often gamble for long periods without a break, sometimes for more than 24 hours, and
  • failed to comply with a statutory direction by the regulator to take all reasonable steps to prevent patrons from using plastic picks and other devices to simulate ‘automatic play’ when gambling on certain electronic gaming machines (or ‘pokies’).

Crown has accepted disciplinary action should be taken and the need for it to continue working on reforms to address these and other Responsible Service of Gambling obligations.

Chairperson Fran Thorn said:

“At the Royal Commission, Crown accepted the Responsible Service of Gambling as both a legal obligation and a condition of its social licence to operate. For a long time, Crown failed in its legal and moral obligation to ensure it provided its gambling products and services in a manner which minimised potential harm to its patrons, their families, friends and communities.

“The record fines totalling $120 million that we have imposed on Crown today will send a powerful message to Crown that the Commission will not tolerate misconduct that exposes our community to increased risks of gambling related harm.

“These were not isolated breaches. They were part of a pattern of extensive, sustained and systemic failures by Crown that spanned roughly 12 years.”

“We urge all gambling licence holders to read this decision. This disciplinary action also sounds a warning to all in the Victorian gambling industry that we expect them to do everything they can to minimise the harmful impacts of gambling. The Commission will be resolute in pursuing our new requirement to regulate for harm minimisation, and the industry can expect further action from the Commission on this matter.”

This is the second time the VGCCC has used its stronger enforcement powers to take disciplinary action against Crown for conduct uncovered by the Royal Commission. In May this year the VGCCC fined Crown $80 million over its China Union Pay process. This latest series of fines brings the total fines imposed on Crown by the VGCCC since receiving its strengthened enforcement powers to $200 million.

The VGCCC is also considering further disciplinary proceedings against Crown related to the other findings of the Royal Commission.

Background

The Royal Commission’s findings on Crown’s Responsible Service of Gambling obligations are set out in Chapter 8 of its final report.

Section 69 of the Casino Control Act 1991 makes it a condition of the casino licence for the casino operator to implement a Responsible Service of Gambling code of conduct that complies with certain regulations and Ministerial directions.

Section 23 of the Act is a provision which provides that the VGCCC may give to a casino operator a written direction that relates to the conduct, supervision or control of operations in the casino, and that the operator must comply with the direction as soon as it takes effect.

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BetMakers and Kiron Interactive Launch Virtual Racing Through the BetMakers API

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BetMakers and Kiron Interactive Launch Virtual Racing Through the BetMakers API

BetMakers Technology Group is pleased to announce the successful launch of its new partnership with Kiron Interactive, a global leader in virtual sports and number games. Kiron’s full suite of virtual horse racing, greyhound racing, and harness racing content is now fully integrated and available through the BetMakers CoreAPI.

The completed integration enables BetMakers’ global network of wagering operators to activate Kiron’s market-leading virtual racing content directly within their existing BetMakers setup. This delivers high-frequency, always-on racing products that complement live racing, enhance customer engagement, and drive incremental turnover.

“Kiron has built a reputation as a world-class provider of virtual racing content, and we’re excited to bring their high-quality, high-frequency products directly to our operator network,” said Joey Carroll, Director of Business Development & Partnerships at BetMakers. “With the integration now live, our partners can switch on virtual racing immediately and seamlessly expand their racing offering across all three codes.”

Steven Spartinos, Co-CEO at Kiron Interactive added: “Kiron’s focus has always been to give operators content that fits the way people play today. Virtual racing delivers fast, session-based entertainment that complements the live schedule and keeps audiences connected on their own terms. Integrating with BetMakers opens that experience to a broader network through a single, streamlined API. It strengthens our reach and gives operators a practical way to grow their racing portfolio with reliable, always available content.”

With virtual racing now available via a single, modern API alongside BetMakers’ global racing content, fixed-odds pricing, and tote solutions, operators can offer an even more comprehensive racing experience without any additional platform complexity.

Operators interested in enabling virtual racing can contact their BetMakers Account Manager for activation details.

The post BetMakers and Kiron Interactive Launch Virtual Racing Through the BetMakers API appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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BetMakers Signs Multi-Year Agreement to Launch CrownBet

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BetMakers Technology Group Ltd announced that it has entered into an exclusive five-year agreement with Betfair Australia (Betfair) as the sole technology provider for the launch of the premium Australian wagering brand CrownBet.

Highlights:

• BetMakers signed an exclusive five-year technology and services agreement with Betfair to deliver a full wagering stack for the development of CrownBet.

• BetMakers to supply its complete end-to-end solution, including a fully customised deployment of the Apollo wagering platform, trading and risk services, a content engine and the core Apollo technology.

• The agreement marks the most significant commercial milestone for the Apollo products and establishes a Tier-1 strategic partnership with Betfair, part of the Crown Resorts group.

• Commercial terms include a hybrid of fixed fees and revenue share, designed to expand recurring revenue and align BetMakers’ with the long-term success of CrownBet.

• CrownBet is targeting to launch in Q1 CY26, with platform activation and compliance workstreams already underway.

Under the agreement, BetMakers will deliver its full wagering stack for CrownBet, including a fully customised deployment of the Company’s Apollo wagering platform, trading and risk management, content engine and core platform technology. The end-to-end solution positions BetMakers as the technology and operational backbone of the CrownBet offering from launch.

The partnership represents the most significant commercial milestone to date for the Apollo platform and further validates BetMakers’ strategy to provide a complete, vertically integrated B2B wagering solution to Tier-1 operators globally. The agreement also establishes a landmark alignment with Betfair and its parent company, Crown Resorts – one of Australia’s most recognised entertainment and hospitality groups.

The agreement contains customary terms and conditions for a contract of this nature, including with respect to termination.

BetMakers COO, Martin Tripp, said: “This partnership is a major endorsement of our end-to-end B2B strategy and a milestone for the Apollo platform. To be selected by Betfair to power the return of CrownBet demonstrates the scalability, performance and commercial flexibility of our technology stack. By combining our Apollo platform with deep industry expertise and talent within Betfair, we are confident we can deliver a market-leading wagering experience and help to position CrownBet as a formidable player in the Australian market.”

Amy Zavros, CEO of Betfair, added: “Betfair is evolving to meet the changing needs of Australian customers by introducing a new fixed odds product under the CrownBet brand and required a technology partner capable of delivering a top tier product from day one. Following a rigorous RFI and evaluation process, BetMakers was the clear choice. Their technology, trading and services capability provides the foundation we need to bring CrownBet to market at the intended scale and complement our Betfair betting exchange, giving customers greater choice, value and innovation. The launch of CrownBet is targeted for early 2026.”

The post BetMakers Signs Multi-Year Agreement to Launch CrownBet appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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BNDRY Announced as the Next Innovation to Feature at Pitch! – Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney

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Pitch! @RTG is designed to surface transformative ideas — a crucible where technology meets real-world regulatory challenges, where compliance is re-engineered for purpose, and where new approaches to governance and sector leadership are tested in front of regulators, operators and innovators.

BNDRY exemplifies this mission. As pubs and clubs come under heightened scrutiny under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Act, BNDRY has partnered with Cherryhub to deliver a compliance platform purpose-built for the operational realities of hospitality venues. Rather than retrofitting systems designed for banks, BNDRY and Cherryhub have engineered a solution for gaming floors, member-based venues and mixed-cash environments.

Many venues grapple with fragmented systems and the complexity of monitoring both carded and uncarded play. BNDRY and Cherryhub tackle this head-on. The platform integrates gaming machine data, member and visitor profiles, and frontline observational inputs into a single operational dashboard — providing clarity and automation where venues have long struggled.

The platform streamlines and automates the core AML/CTF obligations that pubs and clubs need to do continuously:

• Knowing members, visitors and staff

• Monitoring behaviour and transactions to detect anomalies

• Reporting to AUSTRAC

• Securely storing compliance records for seven years.

This new approach bridges the gap between bank-grade compliance capability and the fast-paced, people-driven realities of pubs and clubs — offering a scalable, auditable and future-ready solution as regulatory expectations continue to rise.

“BNDRY is a standout example of the practical innovation Pitch! was built to spotlight. Pitch! exists to surface the RegTech, policy and research innovations the sector often doesn’t know are out there — a crucible where ideas, technology and regulatory practice are tested and refined. That mix of capability and imagination is exactly what will strengthen regulatory outcomes and uplift the sector,” said Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of Regulating the Game.

“Australia’s pubs and clubs are facing financial crime risks and compliance expectations unlike anything before, and AUSTRAC’s focus on the sector is only intensifying. Venues need solutions built for their operational realities — not repurposed bank tech — which is why we built BNDRY. Through our partnership with Cherryhub, we’re integrating data from multiple systems, reconciling player activity, and automating the heavy lifting, to make AML/CTF compliance operationally achievable while showing what’s possible when purpose-built technology meets real-world challenges,” said John Rayment, CEO of BNDRY.

The post BNDRY Announced as the Next Innovation to Feature at Pitch! – Regulating the Game 2026 Sydney appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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