Keno Vic fined AU$75,000 after self-excluded customer allowed to gamble

Keno Vic has been fined AU$75,000 after shortcomings in its systems allowed a self-excluded customer to create a second account and gamble. The customer had self-excluded from Keno Vic’s products in April 2024 but was able to open another online account six months later.

During registration, the customer failed Keno Vic’s automatic identity verification process and was placed into a restricted play period. Despite this, the individual was still able to deposit funds and gamble while manual verification remained outstanding.

The issue was discovered only after the customer contacted Keno Vic to complete the manual verification process and provided their real name in order to claim winnings. The system then identified a duplicate name, leading to confirmation that the customer had previously self-excluded.

Victorian gambling requirements prohibit customers from holding more than one account with the same provider.

Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission CEO Suzy Neilan said Keno Vic’s systems failed to adequately recognise the similarity between the customer’s details and flag the individual before gambling took place. 

While the regulator acknowledged that the customer had attempted to circumvent the verification process, it said responsibility ultimately remained with Keno Vic to maintain controls capable of identifying self-excluded individuals and preventing them from gambling during restricted play periods.

The AU$75,000 penalty reflects what the Commission described as the seriousness of the breaches, while also accounting for mitigating factors. These included Keno Vic’s clean compliance history, its cooperation during the investigation and subsequent remediation efforts.

The regulator said effective self-exclusion controls remain an important part of gambling harm prevention, allowing customers to restrict their access to gambling products either temporarily or permanently.