Australia’s largest casino has been fined A$300,000 (£160,000; $225,000) for tampering with its slot machines to limit betting options.
The penalty given to Melbourne’s Crown casino is believed to be the largest of its kind issued by regulators in Australia, anti-gambling advocates say.
Regulators found that buttons had been covered up on the slot machines, known locally as poker machines or pokies.
Crown has been hit by other damaging allegations in recent times.
The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) said the casino had used “blanking plates” on 17 machines during a trial programme last year, meaning that gamblers were left with only maximum and minimum options.
“This is the largest fine the commission has issued to Crown and reflects the seriousness with which it considers the matter,” it said in a statement.
Gamblers lose more money per head in Australia than in any other nation.
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