"Predatory" casino attacked

Matthew Denholm, The Australian, Friday, 13 September 2002

Gaming authorities want Casino Canberra to end a marketing campaign targeting Sydney's Vietnamese community.

The ACT Gaming and Racing Commission is investigating claims the casino is exploiting the community in a predatory campaign.

An advertisement in Vietnamese in Sydney's Sunrise Vietnamese newspaper offers weekend trips to Canberra for $60.

The deal includes a return bus from Cabramatta to Canberra leaving every Saturday, a night's accommodation, a city tour, two Asian meals and a $25 gaming voucher.

But the small print says conditions include a minimum $1000 "buy-in" - the purchase of gambling chips.

Several complaints about the advertisement have been made by members of the Vietnamese-Australian community in Cabramatta, prompting the ACT Racing and Gaming Commission to seek an explanation.

Des McKee, commission manager of casino and interactive gaming regulation, said an enforceable code of practice - including anti-predatory marketing measures - was being drawn up for the ACT government.

Meanwhile, it was hoped the casino would voluntarily end the marketing campaign. "We would hope they would pull the plug on it if it's offending part of the community or if it offends community standards," Mr McKee said.

The commission has written to the casino's management about the complaints.

Casino marketing manager Peter Cursley said the company would "make a judgement call" after receiving the letter.

But he rejected criticism of the promotion and said there were no plans to end the weekly trips from Cabramatta. "We are targeting all sorts of people with all sorts of products," he said.

Mr Cursley denied the disadvantaged were being targeted, saying the $1000 buy-in condition appeared in a "prominent" part of the advertisement and that people could cash in their chips at any stage.