Australia
Crown Approved to Retain its Melbourne Licence
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has ruled Australian casino giant Crown Resorts can keep its Crown Melbourne casino licence.
The full Commission decided that Crown Melbourne has addressed the failings identified by the 2021 Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence.
Commission Chair Fran Thorn said that the Royal Commission detailed how Crown Melbourne had breached its legal, social and moral obligations, resulting in illegal activities, tax avoidance, money laundering, criminal associations and significant harm to vulnerable community members, ultimately finding Crown Melbourne unsuitable to hold the Melbourne Casino Licence.
“Despite the enormity of its findings, the Finkelstein Royal Commission recommended Crown be permitted to continue operating under stringent independent oversight conditions for two years, determining it had the will and capacity to transform itself to again become suitable, which would be to Victoria’s benefit,” she said.
The Victorian Government responded decisively to the Royal Commission’s findings, appointing a Special Manager to oversee Crown Melbourne’s operations and remediation. It also established the VGCCC as a new regulator focussed solely on the gambling industry and created a specific set of enhanced powers with respect to the Melbourne casino.
The Commission was given the responsibility of deciding whether it was clearly satisfied that Crown Melbourne had returned to suitability and whether the Melbourne Casino Licence remained in the public interest. In making its independent determination, the Commission carefully considered the reports of the Royal Commission and other relevant inquiries, the reports of the Special Manager. Those reports considered the steps Crown Melbourne had taken to address the matters identified by the Royal Commission and the measures to ensure they would not be repeated.
Commissioner Thorn said the Special Manager’s final report concluded that Crown Melbourne has remediated the failings exposed in the Royal Commission and established the critical foundations needed to achieve sustainable overall transformation in coming years.
“There was no evidence of maladministration or illegal or improper conduct indicative of the serious and systemic failures previously identified by the Royal Commission, and these failings had been addressed,” she said.
Commissioner Thorn said that Crown Melbourne had demonstrated to the satisfaction of both the Commission and the Special Manager that it had introduced extensive reforms to prevent or reduce gambling harm, financial crime and money laundering. It has also addressed systemic risk management failures and strengthened its integrity framework.
“During our investigations, we observed a different Crown Melbourne emerging with a clear understanding of the privilege and obligations of holding the Melbourne Casino Licence,” she said.
The Commission’s decision was also supported by Crown Melbourne’s comprehensive transformation plan, required by the Special Manager, against which it will continue to be held accountable going forward.
“That transformation plan will be at the heart of our oversight, along with Crown’s legal and social obligations, and provides the next level standard for Crown Melbourne. The Commission will require Crown Melbourne to deliver further transformation through a statutory direction that will be issued shortly,” she said.
Along with the VGCCC’s strengthened oversight regime and enforcement powers, the VGCCC has established a new, specialist Casino Division providing confidence that Crown Melbourne will be held stringently accountable in the future, including for its ongoing transformation.
Commissioner Thorn said: “In return for the privilege of an exclusive licence, Victorians have a right to expect that Crown Melbourne will never again prioritise profit ahead of the safety and wellbeing of its patrons and staff or over compliance with its legal and social obligations.
“Crown Melbourne must continue to seek to rebuild and earn public trust by demonstrating the good character, honesty and integrity that are necessary to remain a suitable casino operator. We put Crown on notice that this Commission will not hesitate to act if the privilege of holding the casino licence is again abused.”
The post Crown Approved to Retain its Melbourne Licence appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Australia
The Star Shuts Down EGMs and ETGs at All Three Australian Casinos Due to “System Performance Issues”
Electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and electronic table games (ETGs) at all three of Star Entertainment Group’s Australian casinos remained offline on Monday following what it describes as “system performance issues” related to the introduction of cashless gaming technology. The machines had gone dark on Saturday evening.
According to information released by the company via an ASX announcement, the issue relates to planned upgrades to The Star’s systems in readiness for the introduction of cashless gaming.
“Certain of The Star’s systems have been disrupted due to system performance issues identified in post-upgrade testing which resulted in the decision to switch off all Electronic Gaming Machines and Electronic Table Games in each of The Star’s three properties from 10:00 pm onwards on 13 July 2024 until the issue is resolved,” Star said.
“The decision was taken by The Star to ensure compliance with relevant regulations, and to maintain the company’s commitment to safer gambling procedures.”
Star explained that it is working with its systems provider Konami to address the issues but said its properties – Treasury Brisbane, The Star Gold Coast and The Star Sydney – remain open with table games still operational.
The post The Star Shuts Down EGMs and ETGs at All Three Australian Casinos Due to “System Performance Issues” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Sportradar is participating at the Regulating the Game conference, and has secured the first pitch with a quickfire talk on “Effective Regulation Through Innovative Technological Solutions”.
Pitch! is a networking event that as part of the Regulating the Game conference seeks to ignite innovation, champion compliance, and propel the gambling industry “toward unparalleled excellence in regulatory achievements”.
“It is a stage for ideas that elevate operational capability, streamline processes, and confront compliance and regulatory hurdles head-on. More than just a platform, Pitch! is a crucible for change, offering insights into how policy can transition into practice for tangible improvements in regulatory policy and supervision,” the event’s organizers said of the Pitch! feature.
The event shines a spotlight on initiatives that foster ethical leadership, promote safer gambling, and bolster defenses against financial crime and money laundering. As the second networking highlight of the conference, Pitch! combines hospitality, food, and drinks with pitches and entertainment, orchestrated under the guidance of special guest host and sponsor Norths Collective.
The post Sportradar Secures First Pitch at Regulating the Game 2025 in Sydney appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
4D Lotto is a new regulated online lottery in Australia. With the games 2D Red or Black, 3D, 4D Classic and 5D the Lottery offers a fast gaming experience and the chance to win more prizes. With this, 4D Lotto is opening a completely new range of games for millions of Australians. These games are very successful in Asia and particular in the US.
For TQG Lottery Solutions, it was once again a confirmation of its product strategy. The new games 2D Red or Black, 3D, 4D Classic and 5D are implemented directly via the game configurator in the lottery management system TQG- LotterySuite. No programming is needed and the quality and performance are given. And the total project could be handled remotely.
The Player Account Management (PAM) was expanded to include specific customer requirements and Australian specifications. For example, a new payment provider and a specific auditing system for the Gambling Authority were integrated.
Thanks to the mobile-first approach, players now have access to a user interface optimized for smartphones. Fast payment via Apple Pay and Google Pay are just as much a matter of course as the provision of apps in the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
The entire system has been certified by an external auditor in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Gambling Authority.
“It was very important for us to select an experienced technical service provider that has a high level of expertise in the lottery market and can adapt flexibly to our requirements. The collaboration has confirmed that our decision was absolutely right,” Tatt Ghee Saw, Director of 4D Lotto, said.
“This is an important milestone for TQG. The TQG-LotterySuite has once again confirmed itself as a lottery platform and we are now also represented outside Europe with our range of services. We are proud of our product offering and the TQG team,” said Karsten Hagemeister, COO of TQG-LS and responsible for business development.
The post TQG Lottery Solutions Operates Australia’s Newest Lottery appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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