Latest news with #Mounties'
Sydney Morning Herald
06-08-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Ten suspicious gamblers punted $140m at a Sydney club. No one allegedly noticed
Mounties club group allegedly turned a blind eye to $140 million churned through its poker machines by 10 customers alone who displayed classic money-laundering behaviour, such as inserting large sums of banknotes into poker machines with little or no betting activity. A concise statement of facts released by AUSTRAC alleges that the state's most profitable club group served innumerable customers without adequate controls in what was reflective of the 'longstanding, systemic deficiencies' in its approach to anti-money laundering. The financial intelligence agency has brought civil penalty proceedings against Mounties in the Federal Court for non-compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws. 'Mounties' non-compliance ... meant that, over a prolonged period, there was a high risk of ML/TF [money-laundering/terrorism financing] occurring, involving very large sums of money ... and that risk was not addressed adequately or at all,' AUSTRAC claims in the concise statement. 'As a consequence of Mounties' contraventions of the Act, the Australian community and Australia's financial systems have been exposed to systemic ML/TF risk over many years.' The claim will reverberate throughout the industry, and particularly among the 100-odd clubs that rely on BetSafe, the responsible gambling program used by Mounties, including big players such as Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club, Cabra-Vale Diggers, Panthers and the Norths group. AUSTRAC alleges that BetSafe's anti-money laundering program did not enable Mounties to understand, recognise, identify, mitigate or manage the money-laundering and terrorism financing risks that it reasonably faced as a business dealing in large amounts of cash. The club group's enhanced customer due diligence program, for patrons identified as high risk, is alleged to have been 'vague and insufficiently detailed such that a person following the program could not logically follow the steps required to apply ECDD to a customer'.
The Age
06-08-2025
- Business
- The Age
Ten suspicious gamblers punted $140m at a Sydney club. No one allegedly noticed
Mounties club group allegedly turned a blind eye to $140 million churned through its poker machines by 10 customers alone who displayed classic money-laundering behaviour, such as inserting large sums of banknotes into poker machines with little or no betting activity. A concise statement of facts released by AUSTRAC alleges that the state's most profitable club group served innumerable customers without adequate controls in what was reflective of the 'longstanding, systemic deficiencies' in its approach to anti-money laundering. The financial intelligence agency has brought civil penalty proceedings against Mounties in the Federal Court for non-compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws. 'Mounties' non-compliance ... meant that, over a prolonged period, there was a high risk of ML/TF [money-laundering/terrorism financing] occurring, involving very large sums of money ... and that risk was not addressed adequately or at all,' AUSTRAC claims in the concise statement. 'As a consequence of Mounties' contraventions of the Act, the Australian community and Australia's financial systems have been exposed to systemic ML/TF risk over many years.' The claim will reverberate throughout the industry, and particularly among the 100-odd clubs that rely on BetSafe, the responsible gambling program used by Mounties, including big players such as Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club, Cabra-Vale Diggers, Panthers and the Norths group. AUSTRAC alleges that BetSafe's anti-money laundering program did not enable Mounties to understand, recognise, identify, mitigate or manage the money-laundering and terrorism financing risks that it reasonably faced as a business dealing in large amounts of cash. The club group's enhanced customer due diligence program, for patrons identified as high risk, is alleged to have been 'vague and insufficiently detailed such that a person following the program could not logically follow the steps required to apply ECDD to a customer'.
Perth Now
30-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Pokies giant taken to court over money laundering gaps
A gambling giant has been taken to court over alleged compliance gaps amid concerns of criminal groups laundering money through poker machines. Mounties is one of the largest and most profitable club groups in NSW boasting about 1400 poker machines across eight venues. Financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC chief executive Brendan Thomas alleged failures in Mounties' approach to its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism finance obligations have left it open to criminal exploitation. "This is a big company with an even bigger responsibility to ensure its clubs are managing the risks that criminals can run dirty money through its gaming machines," he said on Wednesday. "A business operating at this scale, in a cash intensive sector, is exposed to a high degree of money laundering risk." Mr Thomas referred to a landmark 2022 NSW Crime Commission report which found that billions of the approximately $95 billion gambled in NSW poker machines in 2021/22 was likely to be "dirty money." The regulator also alleged the pokies behemoth failed to appropriately maintain its AML/CTF program by outsourcing parts of it to third-party provider Betsafe. "Relying on third-party providers doesn't absolve a business of its obligations," Mr Thomas said. The company provides compliance programs to several operators across the sector. Gaming industry whistleblower Troy Stolz, who battled three court cases while undergoing treatment for terminal cancer after leaking an internal ClubsNSW report, described AUSTRAC's actions as "massive." "This is the tip of the iceberg," he told AAP. "If the largest club in NSW can't get it right, how are the smaller clubs and pubs going to address this issue?" Mr Stolz was the head of anti-money laundering with ClubsNSW for eight years. He leaked an internal report that showed more than 90 per cent of gaming venues were not complying with money laundering regulations. Mr Stolz had also raised concerns about Mounties' compliance programs with AUSTRAC more than a decade ago. He pointed the finger at successive governments for not implementing stringent regulatory reforms, particularly singling out Premier Chris Minns, who he ran against as an independent in 2023. "Having unregulated poker machines ... is opening the door up for drug dealers to continue to prosper from their operations. "They have long been a safe vehicle to launder their proceeds of crime," Mr Stolz said. NSW is home to the largest number of poker machines in a single jurisdiction worldwide with nearly 90,000 spread across the state. Profits hit all-time highs of $8.4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, delivering $2.3 billion in tax revenue. The figure is tipped to increase to $2.9 billion by 2027/28. In a damning June report, the state's auditor-general found regulators had failed in harm minimisation efforts for addicted gamblers. A Grattan Institute analysis estimated NSW residents lost $1288 per adult on pokies in 2023, double the average of other states. National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858
National Observer
09-07-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
Explosive at BC minister's office was 'homemade,' not intended to hurt anyone: RCMP
An "unsophisticated, homemade" bomb blew open the door at a British Columbia cabinet minister's constituency office in North Vancouver last month, RCMP said Tuesday. Cpl. Mansoor Sahak said the Mounties' explosive disposal unit determined the bomb was likely set off with a burning fuse. "It could potentially be multiple bear bangers or commercially available fireworks taped together to increase the explosive potential of the item," Sahak told the media gathered for a news conference. The explosive went off outside the office of Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma just after 4 a.m. on June 27, causing what Sahak described as minor damage. Since the explosion, police have been scouring CCTV footage, interviewing witnesses and have narrowed down their suspects to two men, he said. Police released photos hoping the public will recognize them. One is a slender man who was wearing a long, blond wig and a dark hoodie. The other man, whose face is more visible, is described as Caucasian with a stocky build, balding with dark, short hair. In the photo, he's wearing a dark jacket and shirt and blue jeans. Police say there were two explosions in the area near the same time that Friday, and Sahak said they believe the two men were also responsible for damaging a street sign earlier that morning. "So this point, we don't have any information that this was a politically motivated incident. There's just not information to point to that direction," Sahak said, although he added that that could change as they get further into the investigation. However, Sahak said the suspects apparently didn't intend to hurt anyone, and for now, police are looking at recommending potential charges of mischief. "So, the public plays a huge role in this. We're releasing these images in hopes that somebody out there, and somebody does know these individuals. We're asking those individuals to do the right thing, to come forward and help us in our investigation," he said. A charred blast pattern was still visible on Tuesday on the ground outside Ma's constituency office, where no one was inside. "We are currently unable to take walk-ins. Door is broken and cannot be opened," a sign taped to the door said. Ma said in an interview on Friday that she was worried about the lasting implications that such a bomb threat could have on the way politicians serve. "I worry that will drive elected officials further away from these kinds of open approaches, and that's not a criticism of elected officials. "I mean, they've got to do what they need to do to keep themselves and their staff safe, but we also lose out as a democratic society when that happens." Ma said she had received about a half a dozen death threats in the past, but considered herself "fortunate" as a provincial politician, as other elected officials have had many more such threats.
Global News
09-06-2025
- Global News
Gillam woman charged in killing of 65-year-old: Manitoba RCMP
A Manitoba woman has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a 65-year-old man in Gillam, RCMP say. Officers were called to a home in the community just before 1 a.m. Friday, where they found the victim with critical injuries. He was later pronounced dead at the scene, and the suspect, 22, was arrested. Police said the victim and suspect knew each other. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Jodi Ann Ouskan of Gillam was taken into custody and will appear in court Monday. Local RCMP, along with the Mounties' major crime and forensic identification services, continue to investigate.
