Stay informed with the latest compliance updates, gaming industry trends, and expert analysis from Australia's leading venue specialists.
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
7 Nov 2025
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
Facing a maze of ever-evolving regulations, businesses can no longer afford to “fly blind.” A centralised compliance obligations register turns that complexity into a strategic advantage by cataloguing every legal requirement, assigning clear ownership, and embedding review triggers so you stay ahead of change. In this post, we’ll show you how to launch yours in phases - starting with high-risk areas, accelerating development with smart tools and templates, and scaling out to full coverage - so compliance moves from a reactive scramble to a driver of operational excellence.
Louise Lane
30 June 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.
Louise Lane
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
Stepping into the AML/CTF Compliance Officer role is a significant responsibility under Australian law. This guide outlines the expectations, authority, reporting lines, and resources AMLCOs need, along with key questions to assess readiness and organisational support.
Louise Lane
23 May 2025
An effective ML/TF Risk Assessment involves nine key steps, starting with preparing your Board's Risk Appetite Statement and documenting your methodology. It proceeds through inherent and residual risk assessments, testing controls, mapping residual risk to appetite, creating action plans for out-of-appetite risks, establishing Key Risk Indicators, and finally, updating your Transaction Monitoring Program rules and training.
Louise Lane
20 May 2025
Australia's AML/CTF laws mandate regular independent reviews of your AML/CTF Program. This impartial assessment ensures you're managing money laundering and terrorism financing risks effectively and complying with legal obligations. Learn 10 quick tips for selecting an independent reviewer, understanding what to expect during the review process, and how to act on the findings to strengthen your AML/CTF framework.
Louise Lane
13 May 2025
Staff in gaming venues are a key line of defence against financial crime but also a potential risk. This article explains how pubs and clubs can assess employee-related risks as part of their AML/CTF obligations and implement controls to mitigate these effectively.
Louise Lane
17 Apr 2025
Effective transaction monitoring is critical for pubs and clubs with gaming machines. This article outlines how to build a risk-based monitoring framework, interpret suspicious activity patterns, and prepare for technology solutions that improve AML/CTF outcomes.
Louise Lane
11 Apr 2025
Pub and club owners must assess the risk of money laundering and terrorism financing across their venues. This article outlines how to assess customer risk, spot red flags like structuring or TITO walking, and implement an AML framework that protects your business from serious threats and regulatory breaches.
Louise Lane
3 Apr 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.
Louise Lane
12 Mar 2025
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