The Victoria playing and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has told Tabcorp to make most of its electronic betting terminals (EBTs) in the Australian state cashless since there have been a lot of cases of people under the age of 18 playing.
 Harm from gaming machines in NSW
 Starting in late January, almost 70% of the 1,800 Tabcorp EBTs in Victoria will only accept vouchers.  The ruling is in effect for all EBTs, save those that are within five meters of the counter and can be seen from there. 

 Players must buy a voucher at the counter to use the machines that don't take cash.  They will have to show their ID here to make sure they are old enough to gamble on EBTs.

 The decision also tells Tabcorp to set up an independent "mystery shopper" program to make sure that venues are checking IDs correctly.

 If Tabcorp doesn't follow these rules, it could face a growing number of penalties.  These could include switching all EBTs in offending establishments to vouchers for six months and discontinuing contracts with certain venues.

 VGCCC calls breaches "inexcusable"
 VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt states, "It is inexcusable to take a bet from a minor, and tougher actions are needed to keep the community, especially kids, safe from gambling harm."

 "Staff at the venue are the first line of defence when it comes to keeping minors from gambling.  We have taken strong action since they have not taken their duties seriously.

 "These tougher identity checks will not only make it harder for kids to gamble, but they will also assist stop money laundering.  The VGCCC will keep a close eye on these safety measures to keep people safe, and venues should pay attention and do their part to protect the community.

 Tabcorp is facing 72 counts of allowing people under 18 to gamble.
 After the VGCCC charged Tabcorp and nine other places with allowing underage gambling for the past eight months, the order was issued.  These have to do with letting a minor into a gaming machine area and letting them gamble, as well as not properly watching EBTs.

 In December, the first case went to court.  In 2022, a magistrate fined the Preston Hotel AU$25,300 (£13,240/€15,398/US$16,873) for letting a 16-year-old bet using EBTs.

 Tabcorp and the other eight establishments are being charged with letting a youngster gamble.  The alleged violations of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 happened between September 2022 and October 2023.

 The other eight places mentioned in the case include the Olympic Hotel, the Brunswick Club, the Edwardes Lake Hotel, the Parkview Hotel, the Albion Charles Hotel, the Doncaster Hotel, the Rose Shamrock & Thistle Hotel, and the Northcote TAB Agency.

 There are 72 charges against Tabcorp.  If they are proven guilty, the operators may be fined more than $1 million, while Tabcorp could be fined $969,236.

 The next case will be heard before the Melbourne magistrates court on January 24.

 Victoria cracking down on people who breach the rules 
 The VGCCC's most recent action to deal with rule violations in the state is the cashless EBT directive.

 Rumotel, which runs the Tower Hotel in Victoria, is one of the people who has been charged.  Rumotel could have to pay an extra AU$1.4 million for breaking the laws around responsible gaming.

 The VGCCC argues that Rumotel did not make sure that a responsible gambling officer was always on the gaming floor.  Rumotel is also accused of not keeping a responsible gambling register up to date.

 Because of this, the VGCCC brought three more accusations against the Tower Hotel operator.  These came after 35 charges were brought against the operator in September for breaking gaming rules.