TLDR:
- Crown Melbourne fined AU$2m for self-exclusion breaches
- 242 self-excluded people placed bets at Crown over 8 months
- Breaches occurred between October 2023 and May 2024
- VGCCC found system and control failures at Crown
- Crown directed to improve self-exclusion program
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has fined Crown Melbourne AU$2 million for breaching self-exclusion rules.
The penalty comes after an investigation revealed that 242 individuals who had voluntarily excluded themselves from gambling were able to place bets at the casino between October 2023 and May 2024.
The VGCCC’s investigation found that these self-excluded players gambled a total of 451 times during the eight-month period.
Some gambling sessions lasted up to 10 hours, with certain individuals placing bets as many as 27 times in a single visit.
This behavior was deemed a violation of Section 76C of the Victoria Casino Control Act 1991, which prohibits casinos from allowing self-excluded persons to gamble.
In addition to the gambling breaches, the VGCCC discovered that 427 self-excluded individuals gained access to Crown Melbourne on 750 separate occasions. While this was considered a less severe infraction under Section 76B of the Act, it still raised concerns about the casino’s ability to enforce its exclusion policies.
VGCCC Chair Fran Thorn emphasized the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals, stating,
“Those who self-exclude must be able to trust that gambling providers will take all reasonable steps to enforce their decision to avail themselves of this harm prevention initiative.”
The commission acknowledged that Crown had taken some steps to improve its systems and controls. However, the high number of breaches indicated that these measures were insufficient to mitigate the risks effectively.
As a result, the VGCCC has directed Crown to engage an independent expert to assess and make recommendations for improving its self-exclusion program.
Crown argued that it had taken reasonable steps to prevent excluded persons from entering the casino. The VGCCC partially accepted this claim but noted that the frequency of breaches highlighted potential gaps in Crown’s systems and controls.
The $2 million fine, while significant, is far less than the maximum penalty of $100 million that could have been imposed for the most serious contraventions. Crown has been given 28 days from October 14 to pay the fine.
This incident is not isolated, as Crown has faced regulatory scrutiny in the past. In November 2022, the casino was fined a record $120 million for responsible gambling failures.
A royal commission inquiry in 2021 had previously deemed Crown “unsuitable” to hold a casino license in Victoria due to what it described as “illegal, dishonest, unethical and exploitative” behavior.
Despite these past issues, the VGCCC ruled earlier this year that Crown could retain its license and continue operating the Melbourne casino, citing widespread changes implemented by the company.
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