The man is understood to have gambled $345,000 since 2012 on the Hellenic Club’s poker machines. Photo: Hellenic Club, Facebook.
The Hellenic Club in Woden has been fined $1.2 million for breaking gambling laws after a regular player of its pokie machines racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses and ultimately took his own life.
Raimo Kasurinen, known as Ray, died on 31 March 2020, days after he and his wife’s Toyota LandCruiser was repossessed.
His son-in-law, David Chambers, wrote to the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, detailing how his parents-in-law had made withdrawals of up to $1000 from the Hellenic Club’s cash machines when the legal limit was $250 per day.
It’s understood Mr Kasurinen and his wife were able to effectively trick the club’s Eftpos facilities by making up to five withdrawals in $200 lots.
Mr Chambers had written to the club about the couple’s problem gambling twice before, in December 2019 and early March 2020, but said it remained “in denial”.
“[The Hellenic Club] were just in complete denial then and remain in denial today,” he said.
After four years of investigation, the ACT’s gambling regulatory authority has notified Mr Kasurinen’s family that it has decided to “take disciplinary action” against the club.
In the letter, the commission said a reprimand, along with a $1.2 million fine, would act as a “public warning against any further misconduct pertaining to the failure to record problem gambling incidents”.
The ACT Gambling and Racing Commission found the Hellenic Club had allowed withdrawals of up to $1000 from the club’s cash machines when the legal limit is $250 per day. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The Hellenic Club has since launched an appeal against the commission’s findings with the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT), saying in a statement it is “disappointed” by the decision.
“The investigation concerned the recording of problem gambling incidents in the gambling incident register maintained by the commission and compliance with regulations relating to limits on the amount of money that could be withdrawn by club patrons via Eftpos,” a club spokesperson said.
“The Hellenic Club has immediately commenced an application for a review of the decision in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal.”
Activity records show the couple had gambled more than $345,000 since 2012 on the club’s pokies.
The Hellenic Club and ClubsACT declined to comment further, given the “ongoing proceedings” with ACAT.
ClubsACT CEO Craig Shannon told Region the industry has raised its concerns about the complexity of the “compliance framework for clubs in this area”.
“The fact the investigation into this matter has taken over four years clearly indicates how complex the current framework is for clubs and the government,” he said.
“We look forward in the current term of the assembly to working with government to enhance the compliance framework and simplify it to ensure our members can continue provide a safe and responsible environment for their patrons.”
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