Following the successful prosecution of the Peninsula Club in Dromana, Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) CEO Annette Kimmitt AM reiterated the regulator would continue to crack down on venues that allow children to enter poker machine areas.

The Magistrates’ Court of Victoria fined Victorian Amateur Turf Club, the venue owner, $7000 for 2 breaches of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 (Vic) and ordered it to pay VGCCC costs of $3500. No conviction was recorded.

Ms Kimmitt said: “This is a warning to every venue. The onus is on you to ensure that children cannot and do not enter the gambling area or participate in any gambling activity, even if they’re with an adult.

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“Equally, staff must be adequately trained and present in the gambling area to supervise while machines are in use.

“Research tells us that people who begin gambling at a young age are at greater risk of developing gambling problems as an adult.

“The rules exist to protect children from exposure to, and harm from, gambling.”

On 10 June 2023, a child entered the gambling area of the Peninsula Club twice and was able to use the poker machines on both occasions. During the second visit to the area, while with adults, the child used a poker machine for about 5 minutes, until staff intervened.

Magistrate Ayres considered the venue’s self-reporting, its lack of prior convictions, early plea and remediations implemented to reduce the chance of future offending.

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The Star Entertainment Group has been forced into a trading halt, after failing to publish its half-year results on Friday.

According to a company release, the halt starts on Monday, unless the group is able to lodge its periodic report by end of trading. Otherwise, the suspension will remain in effect until the report is lodged.

This appears unlikely, as the group notes that it can’t publish its 1HFY25 Report ‘unless, and until, it has secured a refinancing commitment that would enable The Star to refinance all of the Group’s existing corporate debt, as well as to provide additional liquidity’.

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According to reports, the group’s Chief Executive Steve McCann is working to secure over AU$100 million ($62 million) in short-term funding, hoping to keep the company afloat until May.

McCann is reportedly trying to access the AU$60 million ($37.3 million) garnered from the sale of the group’s Sydney events center last month, which is being held in escrow.

The funds, however, will only be released after approval from the New South Wales government.

If released, this would help McCann negotiate with lenders for the additional funding he hopes can prop up the group.

The Star has been warning for months that it has run out of cash, indicating in January that at the end of 2024 it held just AU$78 million ($48.5 million) in available cash.

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Despite owing lenders some AU$430 million ($267 million), The Star has not accepted offers both from its joint venture partners in Queen’s Wharf Brisbane (Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium) and by funds associated with Oaktree Capital Management.

Blackstone has indicated that it could be interested in an acquisition of The Star upon its entry into voluntary administration.

“Nothing can make up for the harm a Melbourne family experienced as a result of the failure by multiple operators to prevent a young teen from gambling between May 2022 and October 2023,” Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) CEO Annette Kimmitt AM said.

Her comment followed the conclusion of VGCCC’s most comprehensive action to date for underage gambling – more than 2000 hours of investigations, 14 prosecutions against 10 entities, 98 charges and fines totalling half-a-million dollars.

The VGCCC investigation was prompted by concerns reported by the mother of the then 17-year-old, whose neurodiversity, in addition to his age, put him at high risk of gambling harm.

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Ms Kimmitt said: “I can only imagine how difficult it was for the mother to come to us and I commend her for doing so. I hope the outcomes and conclusion of these proceedings bring her some comfort, following the significant trauma she and her family have gone through.

“When industry is not diligent about complying with its legal and social obligations, the consequences for everyday Victorians can be serious and long lasting, which is why the VGCCC is determined to hold operators to account.”

The final case was heard before the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria on Thursday 13 February. Correct Bet Pty Ltd, the operator of the Coburg TAB outlet, pleaded guilty to two charges and was fined $3000 without conviction and ordered to pay VGCCC costs of $5500.

Magistrate Hodgson considered that Correct Bet had no prior convictions in 14 years of operation across multiple venues and had implemented additional measures, including staff training, mobile phone policy changes, and regular CCTV monitoring.

Separately, on Friday 7 February, Supreme Edinburgh Pty Ltd, trading as the Duke of Edinburgh in Brunswick, pleaded guilty in the Magistrates’ Court to three counts of breaching the Gambling Regulation Act 2003. The operator was fined $2500 and ordered to pay VGCCC costs of $4950.

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Ms Kimmitt said: “It is a venue’s responsibility to ensure minors do not access a designated gambling area, let alone gamble, no matter how determined or convincing a child might be.

“We welcome the outcome of these court hearings, which bring to a close all prosecutions involving this family. Unfortunately, the family’s recovery from this experience is likely to take a lot longer and leave a painful scar.”