Suspected cash laundering by means of poker machines led to an enormous leap in reviews final yr, in accordance with the federal authorities’s monetary intelligence company.
Reports of attainable suspicious exercise or cash laundering soared to greater than 500 throughout simply April and May final yr, which was the yearly nationwide common between 2016 and 2019.
Some 3000 reviews of attainable suspicious exercise have been made by the top of 2022, a spokesperson for the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) informed AAP.
Figures from 2020 and 2021 have been excluded due to widespread pandemic-related shutdowns within the sector.
The spike in reviews got here after the company launched a marketing campaign to coach pubs and golf equipment about cash laundering final yr.
“The campaign has resulted in a substantial increase in reporting to AUSTRAC,” a spokesperson for the company mentioned.
It comes as calls to introduce a cashless gaming card for poker machines in NSW has dominated a lot of the political debate because the state election looms in March.
Last yr, a damning report from the NSW Crime Commission discovered billions of {dollars} in soiled money have been being funnelled by means of pokies annually. It beneficial eradicating money from the combination to enhance the scenario.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has dedicated to introducing cashless gaming if he wins the election.
“There is a problem, we need to fix it,” the premier informed reporters on Tuesday.
“We’ll protect jobs on the way through and make sure we don’t have money laundering here in NSW.
“The proceeds of crime won’t be flushed down pokie machines. And along with that, we’ll cease and repair drawback playing on this state.”
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns has stopped short of embracing cashless gaming, instead saying he wants a wider, voluntary trial of the scheme to prove it will not economically harm workers.
Mr Minns said the party would release a “complete plan” to reform the state’s gambling industry before the poll.
Venues that suspect money laundering must report it to AUSTRAC under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act and certain transactions also must be reported.
These suspicious matter reviews are utilized by legislation enforcement and regulators for investigations.
