A casino operator situated in the far north part of the state of Queensland has faced a monetary fine for partnering with a junket tour operator in an effort to attract more customers to its venue.
The Magistrates Court of Cairns heard that the Reef Hotel Casino paid betting vouchers worth AU$21,400 to Lawrence Fu to bring patrons to its gambling floor. The payment represented a 0.05% share of the casino’s turnover from players. The casino also made payments for Mr Fu’s airfares to Far North Queensland and his transfers from the airport.
As revealed during the court hearing, the junket tour operator brought groups of between 22 and 34 people to gamble at the Reef Hotel Casino on a total of five occasions in the period from December 2020 to May 2021. The agreement between the casino operator and Mr Fu has reportedly violated the Casino Control Act because the casino did not have received written approval from the gaming minister of the state.
Casinos Austria International pleaded guilty to allegedly breaching the Casino Control Act. As a corporation, the casino faced a maximum financial penalty of AU$26,110 for the offence.
The Cairns Magistrates Court was asked by a prosecutor of the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation to impose a fine of between AU$10,000 and AU$15,000. The legal representative of the casino, on the other hand, submitted that the penalty should not be larger t
Read more at
The Operator of Cairns Reef Hotel Casino Faces AU$21,400 Fine for Illegal Junket Partnership Deal
