VGCCC Fines ALH with $177,500 for Allowing Underage Gambling

The self-proclaimed “leader in the hospitality industry” counting over 350 pubs in communities across the country, the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH), has been slapped with a $177,500 fine after pleading guilty to 24 charges related to allowing minors to gamble, giving minors access to restricted areas, and improperly supervising electronic betting terminals. 

The charges, issued by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), reflect violations that took place between September 2022 and October 2023 across five ALH venues: Albion Charles Hotel, Cramers Hotel, Doncaster Hotel, Excelsior Hotel, and the Rose Shamrock & Thistle Hotel.

“We Have Zero Tolerance for Operators That Flout the Law”
Among the charges, the most significant involved a teenager who was allowed to gamble multiple times at the locations mentioned earlier. The repeated violations resulted in a $175,000 fine.

In a separate incident that took place in August 2023, an eight-year-old child, accompanied by an adult, was allowed to set foot inside the poker machine area at Westside Taverner, which is another one of ALH’s locations. 

This happened despite minors being strictly prohibited from entering gambling areas in Victoria. Nonetheless, it was reported that the staff quickly intervened by asking the adult and child to leave and subsequently reporting the incident to the VGCCC. 

For this violation, ALH was fined an additional $2,500.

ALH was also ordered to pay $45,000 in costs to the independent statutory authority that regulates Victoria’s gambling industries.

In response to the fines, VGCCC’s chief executive officer, Annette Kimmitt AM expressed her approval of the Magistrate’s decision, emphasizing the need to protect children from the dangers of gambling.

“It is well established that minors who gamble are more likely to experience severe harm from gambling as adults.”, she said, adding all venues have “a legal and social obligation to protect children from that risk” and reiterating their “zero tolerance” policy aimed at “operators that flout the law, especially when children are involved”.

While Kimmitt also took the opportunity to praise the staff at Westside Taverner for their prompt action in removing the child from the premises, she also reinforced that such incidents should never occur. 

A spokesperson for Endeavour Group, ALH’s parent company, acknowledged the failure and emphasized their commitment to responsible gambling practices. 

ALH “Regrets That It Failed to Ensure Reasonable Supervision” 
“ALH takes its responsibility obligations very seriously and regrets that it failed to ensure reasonable supervision of the Tabcorp electronic betting terminals and electronic gaming machines at the small number of its venues where these offenses took place,” the spokesperson said.

This prosecution is part of a broader VGCCC initiative aimed at cracking down on venues that allow minors to gamble. 

Other venues fined in recent months include Tabcorp ($370,417), Preston Hotel ($25,300), Northcote TAB Agency in Northcote ($9,960), Edwardes Lakes Hotel in Reservoir ($9,900), The Brunswick Club ($8,720), the Olympic Hotel ($8,820), and Parkview Hotel ($5,220).

The VGCCC continues to urge the public to report concerns about minors gambling through its helpline or website.

Last December, the VGCCC fined ALH over its failure to comply with regulatory standards about the operation of electronic gaming machines.

Before that, in August 2023, the same group was also slapped with a $350,000 fine by the ALH over a series of YourPlay violations.