Connect with us

Australia

AUSTRAC Launches Civil Penalty Proceedings Against Mounties

Published

on

austrac-launches-civil-penalty-proceedings-against-mounties
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

AUSTRAC has launched Federal Court civil penalty proceedings against Mount Pritchard District and Community Club (Mounties), for alleged serious and systemic non-compliance with Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) laws.

AUSTRAC alleges that Mounties contravened the AML/CTF Act, providing gaming services to its customers in circumstances where it had not adopted and maintained an AML CTF programme in compliance with the AML/CTF Rules.

AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said AUSTRAC alleges failures in Mounties’ approach to its anti-money laundering obligations have left it open to criminal exploitation.

“Mounties is one of the largest and most profitable club groups in NSW. It owns 10 venues, 8 of which operate approximately 1,400 poker machines and it makes hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from money gambled on those machines,” Mr Thomas said.

“This is a big company with an even bigger responsibility to ensure its clubs are managing the risks that criminals can run dirty money through its gaming machines.

“AUSTRAC’s 2024 Money Laundering in Australia National Risk Assessment identified pubs and clubs as a medium risk sector, but when those businesses are exposed to cash, especially in circumstances where known money laundering risks are not being managed, the risk increases.”

“A business operating at this scale, in a cash intensive sector, is exposed to a high degree of money laundering risk. In 2022 for example, the NSW Crime Commission released its Project Islington report which determined that billions of the approximately $95b gambled in NSW poker machines in 2021-22 was likely to be dirty money.”

AUSTRAC alleges Mounties AML/CTF programme:

• did not have an adequate risk assessment

• did not contain appropriate staff risk awareness training

• did not contain appropriate risk based systems and controls in its transaction monitoring programme

• did not include appropriate risk based systems and controls in its enhanced customer due diligence processes

• was not subject to an independent review that met the requirements of the Rules

• and that Mounties failed to appropriately monitor a number of its customers with a view to identifying, mitigating and managing the money laundering risk that Mounties faced.

AUSTRAC also alleges Mounties failed to appropriately maintain its AML/CTF Programme, with aspects of its programme outsourced to a third party provider, Betsafe – which also provides AML/CTF programmes to a number of other pubs and clubs.

“Like many other AUSTRAC reporting entities, Mounties outsources aspects of its AML/CTF program but what it can’t outsource is its AML/CTF obligations.”

“Relying on third party providers doesn’t absolve a business of its obligations under the AML/CTF Act. If a reporting entity outsources key parts of its program to a service that is not fit for purpose – especially without proper oversight or resourcing – they run a real risk of non-compliance.

“All reporting entities, regardless of size, must stay actively involved in how their AML/CTF program is designed, implemented and monitored and I would say the same thing to other pubs and clubs who think bringing in a provider is a set and forget solution.”

AUSTRAC also alleges a number of specific instances where Mounties failed to appropriately monitor specific customers, despite the money laundering risks they presented.

“Customer due diligence and transaction monitoring in a club that processes hundreds of millions of dollars a year through its poker machines, a significant amount of which is cash, is going to require a robust approach when it comes to verifying a customer’s source of funds,” said Mr Thomas.

It is now a matter for the Federal Court of Australia to determine whether Mounties contravened the Act and, if so, what orders to make.

The post AUSTRAC Launches Civil Penalty Proceedings Against Mounties appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Australia

BetMakers and Kiron Interactive Launch Virtual Racing Through the BetMakers API

Published

on

betmakers-and-kiron-interactive-launch-virtual-racing-through-the-betmakers-api

Reading Time: < 1 minute

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.

Continue Reading

Australia

BetMakers Signs Multi-Year Agreement to Launch CrownBet

Published

on

betmakers-signs-multi-year-agreement-to-launch-crownbet

Reading Time: 2 minutes

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.

Continue Reading

Australia

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

Published

on

bndry-announced-as-the-next-innovation-to-feature-at-pitch!-–-regulating-the-game-2026-sydney

Reading Time: 2 minutes

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.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania