A 16-year-old Melbourne boy was able to gamble nearly $100,000, including at suburban pubs, despite his mother desperately seeking help, a court has heard.

The Melbourne magistrates court heard that when his mother discovered his gambling habits, she began a frantic mission to get him help, only to be repeatedly turned away.

In April last year she contacted more than 30 individuals and organisations. But because of his age and his unwillingness to stop gambling, none could offer her help beyond a suggestion she not give him access to money and that she look after herself.

The court heard that the woman has cashed out her superannuation, re-mortgaged her previously paid-off home and take on extra work to cover her son’s gambling debts, which exceeded $95,000.

Multiple gaming venues across the Melbourne’s northern suburbs have been charged by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission with allowing the 16-year-old to place bets in their venues and failing to properly supervise electronic gaming machines. The boy had also accessed online betting platforms.

The Preston Hotel was on Thursday fined $15,000 for allowing the teen to gamble $2500 on half a dozen occasions in May and September 2022.

Magistrate Carolyn Howe said the obligation rested on the venue operator to protect children and noted the mother’s mighty efforts to seek help.

“It must have been the most frustrating day in her life – the amount of people she contacted and reached out to for help and got nowhere – absolutely nowhere,” she said.

A lawyer representing the Preston Hotel and its operator, Ben Niall, noted the boy had spent less than two or five minutes at a time placing $2500 on bets – ranging between $100 and $760 – at the hotel.

It was a small amount in proportion to the rest of his gambling at other locations, he said.

But Howe said it was the fact of allowing a minor to gamble any amount at any location that enabled his addiction.

Niall, who spoke in court after the sentencing, said no one wanted this young man or others to be gambling.

“We can make a profit without having to prey on children,” he said, noting he was appalled this had occurred at his venue.

For a time Tabcorp, required northern suburbs venues to go cashless, requiring bets to be placed with vouchers bought from staff members in an effort to combat gambling by minors.

The requirement carried a cost for venues and has since been lifted, the court heard, but Niall has kept it in place at his hotel.

Howe said it was because of steps he had taken and his previous compliance history that the Preston Hotel was able to avoid a conviction.

The hotel was also ordered to pay $10,300 to cover prosecution costs on top of the $15,000 fine.