This is the first time the commission has suspended a pub gaming machine
operator. Earlier this year it suspended the Dunedin Casino for two days.
The Casino was found to have breached the Gambling Act by turning a blind
eye to a problem gambler who gambled away $6.6 million over three years –
much of it in money stolen from her employer. The Whitehouse Trust used
$33,000 for non-community based payments including contributing to a
Papakura mayoral campaign, to pay for its venue manager, Roger Garrick, to
attend an Australasian Gaming Expo, and for a grant to the Ardmore Tenants’
Association for challenging noise restrictions on the Ardmore Aerodrome. The
payments, which breached the Gambling Act or licence conditions, were
identified in an audit of the trust’s gaming operations.
The Department of Internal Affairs acting director of gambling compliance,
Greg Crott, said the Gambling Commission’s decision was a good reminder to
all societies of their responsibilities. “The money raised by the gaming
machines is held in trust by societies for the community and is destined to
benefit a range of activities identified as authorised purposes under a
society’s licence conditions,” Mr Crott said.
AdvertisementAdvertisement”Societies can claim expenses for their operations
but they must be actual, reasonable and necessary and we scrutinise these
carefully during audits.”