Australia
VGCCC Orders Ban on Betting on Minors in Sport Events
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) will ban betting on all under 19 sports competitions, and any betting on the performance of individual players who are under 18 in junior and senior sport.
In letters sent last week to the bodies controlling all major sports and to sports betting providers, the VGCCC states it has “determined that permitting betting on minors is contrary to the public interest and poses potential integrity and gambling related harm concerns”.
These concerns include the susceptibility of minors to approaches seeking to undermine the integrity of a sporting event and normalising gambling on events involving children.
The ban prohibits offering bets on:
- sporting events where all participants are minors
- sporting events for under-19s
- open events where minors are playing, meaning a bet can be placed on the open event “team” but not on particular outcomes for players in the team who are under 18 years old.
The ban includes offering bets on outcomes such as “first goal of the game”, “most disposals” or “first player to take a wicket”, where individual players are minors. Bets can still be made on team outcomes in senior sports when minors may be playing.
Sports controlling bodies — sporting organisations that control, regulate and are approved by VGCCC to oversee betting on their sport — have been directed to vary their agreements with betting providers to ensure that they prohibit the offering of markets involving minors.
The VGCCC is also instituting the same ban for any other sports that are not governed by an approved sports controlling body.
Bodies controlling all major sports and betting providers will have 60 days to comply with the new requirements, after which it will be an offence to allow bets on games and outcomes relating to individual players in a team or participating in the sports betting event who are under 18.
VGCCC chair Fran Thorn said: “The idea that it is okay to bet on minors just doesn’t stand up. We think minors deserve to be protected. It also raises integrity issues, with the prospect of people attempting to influence how minors might behave playing sport.
“If sports controlling bodies and betting providers do not comply with this decision we will take action, which may include revoking our approval of sports controlling bodies and prosecuting betting providers.”
The letters state: “The VGCCC is of the view that betting on contingencies in sporting events relating to the performance of an individual minor in that sporting event is contrary to the public interest.”
“It will, therefore, be prohibited to offer bets on an outcome such as ‘first goal of the game’, ‘most disposals’ or ‘first player to take a wicket’, where the outcome relates to an individual player that is a minor. For the avoidance of doubt, bets will still be able to be offered on the open team performance,” Ms Thorn said.
Australia
Konami’s SYNK Vision Named Finalist in Regulating the Game Global Awards 2026
Konami Gaming subsidiary Konami Australia is a finalist in the Regulating the Game Global Awards 2026, adjudicated by representatives from the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) and Leagues Clubs Australia. Konami’s SYNK Vision biometric player tracking solution has been named a finalist for “RegTech Solution of the Year”, recognising innovative technology improving compliance, anti-money laundering (AML), safer gambling or integrity outcomes.
Tom Soukup, senior vice president & chief systems product officer at Konami Gaming, said: “The potential for SYNK Vision to deliver transformative advancement is unmistakable, especially as it relates to anti-money laundering, compliance, and player protection. This important acknowledgement of Konami’s SYNK Vision in the Regulating the Game Global Awards is credit to our valued casino customers and team members for working collaboratively, pushing casino systems technology to new heights of innovation, efficiency, and responsibility.”
Organised by the annual gambling law and regulation conference Regulating the Game, the Regulating the Game Global Awards 2026 event takes place on March 10 in Sydney, Australia. SYNK Vision has been independently selected as a finalist in this year’s programme, bringing Konami’s patented facial-recognition technology to the forefront of responsible gaming. Installed at casino table games and electronic gaming machines (EGMs), SYNK Vision can securely identify, track and protect players automatically based on biometric facial characteristics, regardless of whether they are members of the venue’s established player loyalty programme.
Gerard Crosby, senior vice president & chief games product officer at Konami Gaming and director of Konami Australia, said: “SYNK Vision equips gaming facilities to rapidly detect barred players, immediately notifying personnel and locking the machine from play if associated with an EGM—all while preserving player privacy across its gaming ecosystem. In addition, its advanced identity‑verification capabilities enhance AML tracking and compliance efforts across regulated venues. Konami is happy to support regulated gaming markets with this previously unattainable ability, to the benefit of countless communities and individuals.”
The post Konami’s SYNK Vision Named Finalist in Regulating the Game Global Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
ACMA
ACMA: Six Wagering Providers Breach Gambling Self-Exclusion Rules
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has concluded six more investigations into licensed wagering providers for breaches of self-exclusion rules.
The ACMA investigations found Tabcorp, LightningBet, Betfocus, TempleBet, Picklebet and BetChamps all failed to comply with rules that protect people who registered with BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register.
The facts of each investigation are different but the breaches across the investigations included allowing registered individuals to open wagering accounts and to access wagering services, or marketing to registered individuals.
ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said these breaches undermine the protections from gambling harm that self-exclusion offers.
“The national self-exclusion register is designed to help people who are trying to avoid gambling services and stop gambling, but self-exclusion only works if wagering providers follow the rules,” Ms Lidgerwood said.
“These rules have been in place for more than two years and wagering providers should be taking their responsibilities seriously.
“When people decide to self-exclude from online and telephone gambling, they trust the system to protect them from gambling harm. These investigations have found that these companies broke that trust and let people down.
“All licensed wagering providers need to be aware that the ACMA is investigating compliance and enforcing the rules. Gambling companies must have effective systems in place to ensure self-excluded people cannot gamble with them.”
The investigations identified that the providers did not ensure that their underlying systems and processes were operating as intended and failed to adequately identify and protect people who had self-excluded.
In response to these findings, the ACMA has used a range of different enforcement tools available under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, having regard to the different facts arising under each investigation.
The ACMA has issued remedial directions to each of Betfocus, LightningBet and TempleBet. Under these remedial directions each of the providers will be required by law to commission an independent audit of their systems and implement any resulting recommendations.
This type of enforcement action is corrective and directed at future compliance with the rules. Failure to comply with a remedial direction is an offence and can result in civil penalties.
Tabcorp Holdings paid a penalty of $112,680 and agreed to enter into a court-enforceable undertaking requiring the company to commission a third-party review of its customer verification processes and train staff on their obligations around the Register. If not complied with, such an undertaking can be enforced in the Federal Court, with the Court being able to make such orders as it considers appropriate.
BetChamps was given a formal warning and the ACMA is currently finalising enforcement action for Picklebet.
All contraventions were found to have occurred in 2024. If these companies fail to comply with self-exclusion rules in the future, the ACMA may take stronger enforcement action, potentially including commencement of Federal Court proceedings to seek civil penalties.
The post ACMA: Six Wagering Providers Breach Gambling Self-Exclusion Rules appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Australia
Finalists Announced for Inaugural Regulating the Game Global Awards Following Strong Global Engagement
Regulating the Game has today announced the finalists for the inaugural RTG Global Awards, following an exceptional level of interest, nominations and engagement in the first year of the program.
The Global Awards were established to recognise regulatory and sector leadership, stewardship, and excellence across gambling policy and regulation, safer gambling, compliance, technology, and community outcomes – acknowledging the role these disciplines play in underpinning integrity, public confidence, and sustainable sector development. The breadth and quality of submissions received in the inaugural year has confirmed a strong appetite for recognition that is rigorous, independent, and grounded in demonstrable, real-world impact.
Among the finalists confirmed this year are a number of individuals and organisations recognised for leadership and impact within their respective categories, including Dr Eugenia Chidhakwa (Lotteries and Gaming Board, Zimbabwe), Rob Annable (Picklebet) and Duncan Garvie (BetBlocker) for community impact; Dominic Monti (Wests Illawarra), Nathan Hinde (PointsBet) and Sue Pemberton (Parramatta Leagues Club) for compliance excellence; Michael Simone (Bankstown District Sports Club) and Vicki Le (Cabravale Club Resort) as emerging leaders; Chris Dimou (Parramatta Leagues Club), Gaming Laboratories International and Danny Munk (Wests Illawarra) for leadership voice; and CherryHub and KONAMI Australia recognised in the RegTech category as well as Crown PlaySafe, Parq Casino and The Star Entertainment Group for safer gambling champion.
Finalists have now been confirmed across all six categories. The full list of finalists will be available on the Regulating the Game Global Awards website.
Finalists were shortlisted across six award categories following independent assessment by a judging panel comprising senior leaders with deep expertise spanning regulation, law, integrity, governance and responsible gambling:
- Don Hammond, Chief Executive Officer, Leagues Clubs Australia
- Jamie Nettleton, Former President, International Masters of Gaming Law and Partner, Addisons
- Khalid Ali, Chief Executive Officer, International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA)
- Tracy Parker, Senior Vice-President – Accreditation, Advisory and Insights, Responsible Gambling Council (Canada)
The composition of the panel reflects the cross-sector perspective required to assess excellence in a complex and increasingly scrutinised regulatory environment, bringing together domestic and international insight across public policy, legal frameworks, integrity assurance and harm prevention.
RTG Founder and Principal at Vanguard Overwatch, Paul Newson, said the inaugural Global Awards reflected a growing appetite for recognition grounded in substance and sector contribution:
“The response to the first year of the Global Awards shows there is a clear place for recognition that goes beyond profile or promotion. These Awards are about surfacing leadership and stewardship – the people, organisations and solutions that are lifting standards, shaping practice and contributing to better sector and community outcomes.”
“The independence and calibre of the judging panel has been central to that credibility.”
The RTG Global Awards Gala Dinner will be held as a flagship networking event within the Regulating the Game program. Tickets are available separately, enabling colleagues, finalist teams, and sector stakeholders who may not be attending the full conference to join the Awards evening. Further information on conference registration and Global Awards Gala Dinner tickets is available via the Regulating the Game website.
The post Finalists Announced for Inaugural Regulating the Game Global Awards Following Strong Global Engagement appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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