The widow of Raimo "Ray" Kasurinen, who took his own life after the couple lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in Hellenic Club poker machines, has made a searing plea.
"The Hellenic Club has to be stopped from doing what they're doing," Marlene Kasurinen said.
"I want to know what they are going to do to correct their eftpos incorrect procedures. They've done the wrong thing.
She said the club had got off lightly and called on anyone who had been hurt by the way it ran pokies to come forward. "Do something so we can stop more families being destroyed like mine was."
She was speaking to The Canberra Times after the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) found that staff at the Woden club allowed the couple to get around laws which put a $200 ceiling on cash withdrawals from an eftpos machine near the gaming room. Instead, she was allowed to take out batches of $200 in cash, sometimes adding up to $1000.
Examples on one day cited in the tribunal hearing included:
Mrs Kasurinen told The Canberra Times that she had seen staff allow other gamblers to get around the regulations at the eftpos machine.
"We've lined up together. We've chatted about it," she said.
Her husband Raimo "Ray" Kasurinen took his own life on March 31, 2020. After a five-year investigation, the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission accused the club of a string of breaches of poker machine regulations. It fined the club $1.2 million.
The club appealed, and ACAT ruled in its favour on some allegations. It upheld the one about allowing multiple eftpos withdrawals in a short space of time.
The tribunal heard that the couple lost $345,597 on Hellenic Club poker machines from 2012 to the time of his death.
The club was asked for comment. Chief executive Ian Cameron welcomed the ACAT decision where it rejected the allegations, but said there would be no further comment.
Mrs Kasurinen's son-in-law David Chambers was furious that the ACT Gambling Commission didn't move faster in its investigation. He said it was two-and-a-half years before he and his family members were even interviewed. In that time, he felt, abuses causing harm to gamblers were allowed to continue.
He was also angry that the commission chose not to focus on the club's use - or abuse - of the eftpos machine on the premesis.
"There were occasions where Marlene would swipe her card in rapid succession and was handed amounts of between $200 and $1000 in a single transaction which is a clear breach of the law," he said.
"It is my belief that this unlawful practice has been allowed to continue for another six years before the tribunal's recent decision. I do not know how many other victims have lost their fortune or their lives since I reported this unlawful practice to the club and the GRC in 2020."
The Hellenic Club was fined $1.2 million last year for its breaches of poker machine law. That fine will be contested at an ACAT hearing in November. Given that the tribunal only found the club "guilty" on some of the previous allegations, the fine may be reduced.
The ACAT panel said: "The result of this case in terms of problem gambling will probably come as a disappointment to Mrs Kasurinen and the Chambers family who at all times conducted themselves with dignity and grace in the Tribunal despite the many tragedies that were visited upon them, and especially Mrs Kasurinen."
ACAT will reconsider the $1.2 million fine in November.
"We welcome the tribunal's findings, which support the Club's longstanding position in relation to the allegations concerning problem gambling," Mr Cameron said on Monday.
"Throughout this process, the Club has maintained that it takes its responsibilities around problem gambling seriously and has always sought to provide a safe and supportive environment for its members.
"As the matter will return to ACAT for a further hearing in November, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage."
The Gambling and Racing Commission said: "The Gambling and Racing Commission respects the Tribunal process and will not be commenting further until the proceedings are finalised."
