The Ville casino resort in Townsville charged with breaking Queensland casino laws

The Ville resort empty during coronavirus restrictions in Townsville.

he Ville Resort Casino in Townsville has been charged with breaking Queensland's casino laws just days after the operator of a Cairns casino was fined for paying a junket tour operator.

Key points:

• The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation has been investigating the Townsville venue for months
• The Ville is accused of operating an alleged "illegal junket operation" and engaging in alleged "unapproved agreements."
• The matter is scheduled to go before the Townsville Magistrates Court in January 2023

The state's gambling regulator has spent months investigating allegations of an "illegal junket operation" at the luxury venue after it became aware of "alleged unapproved agreements" at the Ville as early as February.

Casino laws in Queensland require approval for certain agreements or arrangements, including junkets.

The Office of Liquor and Gaming told the ABC it had charged The Ville Resort Casino with breaching two sections of the Casino Control Act.

The casino, owned by billionaire businessman Chris Morris, was in August the subject of a report by Channel Nine program 60 Minutes, which claimed the Ville had paid an alleged illegal junket operator "in cash and loyalty points" to attract high rollers to the venue.

At the time, the Ville said there were factual inaccuracies in the report and that the casino operated lawfully.

The casino has been contacted for comment again.

The matter is due to be heard at Townsville Magistrates Court in January.

Fines handed to Cairns casino operator

Just days ago, the operator of the Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns was fined $10,000 for paying a junket tour operator to bring patrons to the venue. 

Casinos Austria International (Cairns) Pty Ltd paid high roller Lawrence Fu 0.05 per cent of what the casino turned over from patrons he brought through its doors.

A casino operator in Far North Queensland has been fined for paying a junket tour operator to bring patrons to the venue.

But the agreement, which earned Mr Fu $21,400 in betting vouchers, did not have written approval from the state gaming minister.

The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation is currently reviewing penalties under the state's casino legislation.

New reforms require casinos to self-report breaches and cooperate with the regulator, which said additional reforms will be introduced next year.

 

The Casino Guru Awards are fast approaching with the February date locked in, and we are happy to bring you the nominated companies who will vie for one of the industry’s most prestigious achievements. After having introduced you to our judges, we are very happy to reveal the names of the nominees who will compete to win in all seven categories.

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Casino Guru Awards now expects successful applicants to provide strong arguments as to why their brands should be the ones to win. The focus of the Awards will lie fully on how well the category standards have been implemented by the companies and what initiatives – both small and large-scale – an applicant maintains to make an impactful and lasting change in the industry or maintain its high standards.

The Casino Guru Awards is interested in projects that are both finished and ongoing, small and big, gauging the potential of each candidate’s initiative and how it can improve the industry for the better when it comes to social responsibility, problem gambling, transparency, communicating with consumers, and more.

Casino Guru will weigh in on each category with the help of no fewer than 20 external judges who are respected authorities in the field of responsible gambling, social responsibility, and general gambling operations. All of the panel experts are accomplished individuals in their fields, and they will hold applicants to some of the industry’s highest standards.

Casino Guru will also bring a number of internal judges, among whom Head of Content Maros Gasparik and Sustainable & Safer Gambling Lead Simon Vincze who have become authorities in the field of responsible gambling over the last few years. Each of the candidates will be judged objectively and based on merit only, with the best operators, companies, and professionals distinguished during the February online ceremony.

Casino Guru Awards invites you to pick your own favorites for the Voice of the People category by choosing from the nominated brands. Stay tuned for more updates about one of the best industry events of 2023.

Rob the Diamond Casino & Resort and earn bonus rewards in the ongoing Heist event

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World famous casinos you want to visit at least once during your trip

In Korea, the use of casinos by locals is strictly restricted. There are 17 casinos in Korea alone, but Kangwon Land is the only one that Koreans can enter, and the rest are operated exclusively for foreigners. However, in foreign countries, the operation and use of casinos is more liberal. Of course, some people use it for gambling, but the reality is that it is established as a healthy entertainment culture, and various cultures other than casino games are harmonized, attracting many tourists. Why don't you enjoy the casino culture that you can't easily enjoy in Korea, and enjoy the atmosphere when you travel abroad?

grand casino

Monaco is the smallest country in the world after the Vatican Empire, but it is very famous for the love story of Prince Rainier III and actress Grace Kelly, the Formula 1 Grand Prix car racing competition on public roads, and world-class yacht shows. In particular, the Grand Casino, located in the Monte Carlo area along the harbor, is famous for its palace-like appearance and as a place where the rich of the world gather. The casino, operated by the Kingdom of Monaco, requires a dress code to enter.

Las Vegas Casino

Las Vegas, the largest tourist city in Nevada, USA and a place where casinos are concentrated, began when Thomas Hull built the first casino motel in the Nevada desert. Currently, it is a splendid night city where the lights do not go out, and when you are here, you do not even know when the night has passed. Casinos operated by each hotel are not only large in scale, but also attract more than 40 million tourists a year through various events. The Treasure Island Hotel presents a pirate show, and the Hotel Bellagio, where the movie Ocean's Eleven was filmed, has a fountain show.

Megaworld investing US$261mln in Manila condos, casino

Megaworld Corp, part of Philippine conglomerate Alliance Global Group Inc, which is a backer of casino business in that nation, is to invest PHP15 billion (US$261.3 million) in a 3-acre (1.2-hectare) “Winford Resort” in Manila with “residential condominiums, hotels, and commercial developments with a casino complex”.

Monday’s filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange did not clarify whether the development would require its own provisional gaming licence from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor).

The scheme for Metro Manila (pictured) would be in the San Lazaro Tourism and Business Park, said Megaworld.

A “commitment to revive the old beauty of Manila” would be “apparent” in the planned “designs of the commercial developments of this community,” said Wilson Sy, first vice president and head of sales and marketing, Megaworld Manila, as cited in Monday’s filing.

A gaming property called the Winford Hotel and Casino – operated by a subsidiary of the Manila Jockey Club Inc – opened at San Lazaro Tourism and Business Park in April 2017. Megaworld earlier this year purchased from Manila Jockey Club Inc, the land where the existing casino hotel is located.

Alliance Global is already an investor – via Travellers International Hotel Group Inc – in Newport World Resorts, a casino complex at Newport, close to Manila International Airport.