Western Australia Passes Stricter Gambling Laws
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The changes come after findings from the Perth Casino Royal Commission, which determined that gambling regulations in Western Australia needed modernization to ensure they remain effective.
Harsher Penalties for Non-Compliance
Key amendments to the law include significant penalty increases for entities that fail to comply with regulations set by the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC). Additionally, the reforms will streamline the process of incorporating national policies, such as the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Gambling and the National Policy on Match-Fixing in Sport, into Western Australian law.
WA Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia spoke about the importance of these updates in combating non-compliance with regulations.
The law reform is designed to significantly expand the regulator’s compliance and enforcement powers and increase the penalties to ensure they are an effective deterrent to non-compliance. Addressing all the legislative reform recommendations of the Royal Commission will take time, but we are well advanced on our pathway to implementing the wide-ranging changes that are required to establish a modern regulatory framework, not only for casino operations but for all gambling activities in Western Australia.
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GWC Chair Gary Dreibergs also gave his support to the reforms. He said that they would help the Gaming and Wagering Commission enforce gambling laws and combat illegal gambling and that the substantial increase in penalties would be both a more effective deterrent and a more appropriate punishment for those who do break the laws.
Dreigbers added that the extra powers will also help the GWC carry out its investigations into illegal activity and prosecute successfully.
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