72 Year Old Australian Women Scams $31,000 to Gamble

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Posted: March 30, 2010

Updated: October 4, 2017

Australia is a beautiful country full of koalas, kangaroos, sunshine and slot machines (locally known as pokies). This great nation’s represents one

Australia is a beautiful country full of koalas, kangaroos, sunshine and slot machines (locally known as pokies). This great nation’s represents one of the largest gambling markets in the entire world.  

Reports indicate that one-fifth of all the slot machines ever produced are located in Australia. With this in mind, it may not be so surprising that most Australians spend more money each week on gambling than they do on fuel for their vehicles.  

Australian gambling law show signs of trying to keep the gambling situation safe and under control, but there are a few individuals who become addicted to this otherwise innocent pastime. One such case can be seen in Roma Joy Hall. 

Ms. Hall is a 72 year old Australian woman with an allegedly chronic addiction to poker machines. As a result, she launched an elaborate scam and stole a jaw-dropping sum of $31,000 in Centrelink payments, all of which she spent on her gambling hobby. 

Ms. Hall was able to pull this off by failing to declare her employment to Centrelink while receiving an aged pension and working under her maiden name. She’s been charged, at this point, with social security fraud but will not be spending any amount of time behind bars. 

Online casinos in Australia operate in an interesting manner. They are licensed by the government, but are not allowed to accept Australian players. However, punters can always venture to foreign sites, to get their gamble on.  

When visiting online gambling sites in Australia, or their land-based counterparts for that matter, it’s always important to remember to gamble responsibly. In the event that players are losing too much, they need to consult a specialist or some other form of help. Don’t end up trying to pull off a stunt similar to Ms. Hall! 

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