Queensland to introduce ‘tough new laws’ for local casino operators

In Australia and the government for the state of Queensland has reacted to the recent findings of the investigation into The Star Entertainment Group Limited by promising to introduce ‘tough new laws’ for all local casino operators.

The government of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk used an official Friday press release to declare that these measures contained within the coming Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 are to also involve ‘stricter oversight’ for anyone looking to run a casino in the state of almost 5.3 million people. The administration moreover pronounced that the reforms have been designed to ‘ensure casinos are operating lawfully and transparently’ while taking a serious approach towards reducing ‘gambling harm’.

Probe propositions:

The Attorney-General for Queensland, Shannon Fentiman, used the press release to detail that a number of the coming changes were recommended by former Appeals Court judge Robert Gotterson as part of the findings of his official examination into the conduct of The Star Entertainment Group Limited. The Labor politician furthermore stated that the new measures will look to ‘improve integrity’ while simultaneously deterring ‘illegal, dishonest and unethical behaviour’ at casinos in the country’s third most populous state.

Read a statement from Fentiman…

“Given the extremely serious and concerning findings of the Gotterson review, the government has acted swiftly to prioritize critical reforms that address certain key matters in Gotterson’s report. The new laws provide for a special manager who could be appointed to monitor and direct casino operations and report back to government so that further action can be taken where necessary.”

Restitution restriction:

Fentiman proclaimed that the changes are to additionally see Queensland follow other Australian states in removing any requirement for local casino operators to be compensated for the introduction of ‘stronger regulatory laws’ while boosting the top disciplinary fine up to approximately $63 million. The former solicitor asserted that it is now ‘crucial’ that these measures are passed into law as quickly as possible in case The Star Entertainment Group Limited decides to lodge a ‘cause notice’ on why it should be permitted to continue running casinos in the northern state.

Auxiliary armor:

The government of Queensland affirmed that other measures included within the coming Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 would also compel local casino operators to report any breaches and cooperate with local regulators at the risk of ‘significantly increased penalties’. The Palaszczuk administration finished by denoting that the changes should similarly ‘pave the way for a transition to safe cashless gaming’ so as to address some of the money laundering concerns raised as part of the Gotterson review.

Fentiman’s statement read…

“I announced last week that the Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation will be issuing a ‘show cause notice’ to The Star Entertainment Group Limited and these reforms will give the government more options to respond to the potential outcomes of that process. The new rules will modernize Queensland’s gambling legislation to allow new payment methods and systems to be considered for use, provided they are safe and reliable.”