Stay informed with the latest compliance updates, gaming industry trends, and expert analysis from Australia's leading venue specialists.
The AUSTRAC case against Mounties revealed 691 internal alarms across just 13 customers and a 16-month gap between a flagged suspicion and any action. Here's why cookie-cutter AML programs are the real story, and what continuous transaction monitoring actually looks like.
Mark Kelly
25 Apr 2026
As Tranche 2 regulations bring accountants, lawyers, and real estate agents into the regulatory fold, the "reasonable excuse" of manual record-keeping is fast disappearing. While spreadsheets and PDFs are familiar, they are inherently fragile: vulnerable to "shadow" files, accidental data corruption, and a lack of auditability. Relying on a tool where a single accidental column sort can invalidate your entire compliance history is not a viable strategy. This post explores why shifting to a SaaS GRC platform is essential for protecting your firm’s reputation, ensuring data integrity, and transforming compliance from a manual burden into a streamlined, automated asset.
Mark Kelly
19 Apr 2026
The AML/CTF threshold for gaming venues just dropped from $10,000 to $5,000. What sounds like a minor tweak has serious operational consequences, and pub and club operators need to understand exactly what's changed, and fast.
Mark Kelly
17 Apr 2026
Most guidance on AML/CTF compliance is either too vague or built for banks. Here's a plain-English version of exactly what your program needs to include...and why.
Mark Kelly
23 Mar 2026
Frontline pub and club staff are being asked to manage AML obligations, safer gaming responsibilities, and patron safety - often simultaneously, and often without adequate tools. Here's why that's a systems problem as much as a training one, and what operators can do about it.
Mark Kelly
14 Mar 2026
Think submitting Suspicious Matter Reports puts your venue on AUSTRAC's radar? The regulator says the opposite is true. Here's what February's record-breaking SMR numbers mean, and how Involv's Sentinel transaction monitoring tool helps you stay on the right side of the ledger.
Mark Kelly
13 Mar 2026
AUSTRAC's leadership has spent recent months describing a sophisticated, cross-border financial crime ecosystem that is actively targeting Australian gaming venues. Here's what the regulator is seeing, and what it means for your AML program.
Mark Kelly
5 Mar 2026
Most newcomers treat AML as paperwork, rather than a living risk management system. Here are the three mistakes AUSTRAC keeps finding - and how to fix them fast.
Mark Kelly
9 Feb 2026
AUSTRAC's newly released compliance starter kits give Tranche 2 professionals a practical on-ramp to AML/CTF obligations, commencing on 1 July 2026. Here's what's in them, what the regulator actually expects, and where the real compliance challenge begins.
Mark Kelly
1 Feb 2026
AUSTRAC has released a revised "Pubs and Clubs with Gaming Machines Regulatory Guide," introducing new details on ML/TF risk assessments, adviser independence, enhanced due diligence, and venue-level governance. The update strengthens expectations for how pubs and clubs manage AML/CTF risks and reflects lessons from recent enforcement actions.
Mark Kelly
17 Oct 2025
In risk and compliance, most teams don't fail because they lack effort; they fail because they focus on paperwork instead of building systems that actually work. The most common misstep we see across gaming operator businesses? Jumping straight into templates and registers without understanding the underlying why. Real compliance isn't about spreadsheets or documenting a long obligation register; it's about how controls operate in practice, how staff behave under pressure, and how decisions get made every day. If your compliance function lives in a shared spreadsheet in a shared drive gathering digital dust, it's not protecting your business.
Mark Kelly
10 Sept 2025
For years, the regulator has warned that cookie-cutter AML/CTF programs don’t cut it. At AGE, Brad Brown from AUSTRAC clearly stated his agency's expectations for pubs and clubs, emphasising that none of this should surprise any operator in the industry.
Mark Kelly
15 Aug 2025
A blunt wake-up call for Australia’s pubs & clubs on AML/CTF
Mark Kelly
14 Aug 2025
Serving on a club board with gaming operations carries unique responsibilities that extend far beyond typical directorship duties. Gaming licences create specific legal obligations that every director must understand, regardless of their background or expertise.
Tim Barnett
20 June 2025
When most gaming venue operators think about AML compliance costs, they focus on the obvious expenses: staff training, system upgrades, and consultant fees. But the hidden costs of non-compliance can dwarf these investments by orders of magnitude.
Tim Barnett
16 June 2025
Relying on instinct or heuristics to manage your gaming floor is no longer enough. Learn how AI-driven optimisation tools like Involv|PrimeEdge are helping venues make smarter, data-led decisions that drive measurable uplift.
Tim Barnett
2 June 2025
Managing compliance for electronic gaming machines across Australia's diverse regulatory landscape is becoming increasingly complex. With state-by-state variations in requirements, evolving responsible gambling obligations, and mounting scrutiny from regulators, pubs and clubs need more than generic compliance tools—they need purpose-built solutions that understand their unique operational environment.
Tim Barnett
31 May 2025
Australia’s financial crime regulator is shifting its enforcement focus toward clubs and venues with electronic gaming machines. With expectations of increased scrutiny, venues should prepare now by reviewing their AML/CTF frameworks, risk assessments, and customer due diligence processes. Those who wait may find themselves playing catch-up under regulatory pressure.
Mark Kelly
12 Mar 2025
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