An investigation into ClubCatalina’s refusal to pay a woman who claimed to have won a weekly badge draw has revealed the club was not licenced to hold the draw in the first place.
The discovery, made by the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR), came after the office investigated why the club did not pay a Surfside woman who said she’d won the $6200 badge draw last month.
An OLGR spokeswoman said this week the investigation found the club didn’t hold the required permit to conduct badge draws, in breach of the Lotteries and Art Unions Act 1901.
However, when approached by the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner, ClubCatalina chief executive officer Daryl Wilson blatantly denied the club breached the act.
“That is totally incorrect and that’s all we have to say, goodbye,” he said before hanging up.
This is despite a message on the club’s noticeboard which clearly states: “Due to the inability to secure a current permit for the members’ draw, the draw will be suspended until further notice”.
The investigation into the club started last month when it refused to pay member Jacqueline Moy after her name was called out as the winner of the badge draw on January 13.
The Surfside resident and single mother-of-four said she was out the back of the club when her name was announced, and didn’t hear it. However, when someone yelled out that she’d won the draw, Ms Moy ran inside to the foyer to claim her prize.
She said a duty manager came out and congratulated her. She was asked to sign the verification notice and return the following Monday to claim the money.
However, on her return, Ms Moy claims the club refused to pay up.
After a strongly-worded letter to the board, she received a response claiming she wasn’t on the premises at the time, and that she took too long to present herself.
According to the OLGR, winners have to present themselves within four minutes of the announcement.
Ms Moy was outraged at the letter. She said precious minutes were wasted when she tried to present herself to reception because there was no one behind the desk.
“It is possible it was over the four minutes, but it may have been only a minute,” she said.
The OLGR spokeswoman said evidence showed Ms Moy claimed the prize more than 10 minutes after the draw, and not within the required four minutes, set out in the terms and conditions of the lottery, which the club advertised.
She said the club hadn’t breached the legislation or the lottery’s terms and conditions by not paying Ms Moy.
The OLGR spokeswoman said the office did not have the authority to fine the club for not holding a permit. She said ClubCatalina had applied for a badge draw permit as soon as they were informed of the breach.
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