Police find millions laundered through pokies
NSW Police have identified more than $5.5 million in suspicious transactions over the last six weeks in their latest crackdown on money laundering through poker machines.
Chief NSW gaming investigator David Byrne said his team of investigators have identified 140 pubs and clubs, as well as 130 individual gamblers, that have been associated with money laundering activity.
“That’s only in the Sydney metro area, that’s not the entire NSW landscape,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The laundered cash comes from criminal proceedings and is made to look like legitimate earnings or winnings from gambling.
“You’re talking about, at the worst level, child exploitation, human trafficking, firearms trafficking … terrorism funding - all of those can be packaged up in the same conversation as money laundering,” Mr Byrne said.
Footage shared by The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes over the weekend revealed how a money-laundering syndicate used pokies at a Sydney pub to launder tens of thousands of dollars.
It turns out size doesn’t matter for criminals running massive money laundering operations. Now, in a major investigation with #60Mins, @TheAge and @SMH, we turn our attention to neighbourhood pubs and clubs filled with money-making poker machines. pic.twitter.com/4m0iVxuzKo
— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) November 28, 2021
The newspaper, along with The Age, reported that the state gaming department had been unable to access pokies data from The Star casino, despite the establishment of a centralised monitoring system that collects poker machine data in 2017.
The lack of access to The Star’s information was discovered earlier this year, after police asked the venue for information about the pokies habits of alleged drug trafficker Mende Trajkoski. It was later discovered that Mr Trajkoski had a $175 million poker machine turnover at The Star between 2007 and 2021.
Mr Byrne said that states like Victoria likely face similar issues, and has urged the gambling industry and groups such as lobbyists ClubsNSW to take the issue seriously.
“I don’t think that clubs, where good, family-orientated people across NSW go to have dinner, want [patrons] to be walking past organised criminals laundering cash,” he said.
“I think, based on what we’re finding, they [pokies venues] need a wake-up call, definitely.”
The allegations come as the Department of Liquor and Gambling has found additional video evidence of money laundering at clubs, with footage showing individuals picking up bags of cash in a carpark before gambling with it inside the club in a suspicious manner.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he has sought advice over the “very concerning” allegations made by the newspaper and 60 Minutes.
The publication also reported that Mr Perrottet’s office was privately threatened by figures in the gaming industry that would be targeted by his proposed reforms to counter money laundering.
However, a statement from ClubsNSW downplayed concerns that the industry needed reforms or that laundered money was a significant issue.
“The groups and the people who are suspicious in the casino environment are often identified in the registered club and pub space,” Mr Byrne said.
He said the challenge “has always been finding the resources and time and budget to address” money laundering in a gaming environment.
Image: Getty Images