Australian Man “Borrows” Over AU$70K from Employer to Fuel Gambling Habit

A man from Canberra, Australia, has been convicted of fraud after stealing more than AU$70,000 ($46,200) from his employer, the Master Builders Association (MBA), in a desperate attempt to fund his gambling addiction. Luke Lowes, 41, who worked as an event organizer for the MBA from 2019 to 2022, funneled event funds into personal accounts, hoping for a gambling windfall that never came.

The Perpetrator Abused His Position
Lowes organized high-profile events, including national awards ceremonies and business excellence events. He used Eventbrite, a platform that collected payments to manage these transactions, and then transferred the proceeds back to the MBA. However, Lowes redirected the profits to personal accounts, believing he could win enough through gambling to repay the “borrowed” money.

The fraud was detected by another employee who attempted to reconcile the accounts and discovered a shortfall of AU$50,000 ($33,000). When confronted, Lowes created a false email supposedly received from Eventbrite that explained the delayed payments. MBA CEO Denita Wawn commented on the case for news outlet ABC, expressing sadness that a liked and respected employee would stoop to theft.

“The fraudulent activity was bad enough, but the fact he went to extremes to cover up the fraud … was even more disappointing.”

Denita Wawn, MBA CEO
Lowes’ deception ultimately fell apart, landing him in court and later pleading guilty to obtaining an advantage by deception. The investigation discovered Lowes had tried to repay about AU$11,000 ($7,300), a significant mitigating circumstance. Luckily for the MBA, its insurance covered AU$56,000 ($37,000) of the losses, with Lowes paying back the remaining amount. 

Mitigating Circumstances Led to a More Lenient Sentence
Despite the severity of the crime, pre-sentence reports noted that Lowes was unlikely to repeat his offense, describing his actions as an “uncharacteristic aberration.” Considering the above fact, Justice David Mossop sentenced the perpetrator to a two-year intensive corrections order, allowing him to serve his sentence within the community. 

During the court hearing, Justice Mossop condemned Lowes’ actions as a severe breach of trust. Although Lowes intended to return the money, his gambling addiction blinded him to the recklessness of his actions. Lowes had a weekly habit of spending up to AU$500 ($330) on poker machines, highlighting the severity of his addictive behavior.

“Unsurprisingly, the offender lost the money instead of winning it back.”

Justice David Mossop
Lowes’ situation reveals how gambling harm can strike anyone regardless of occupation or social position. It coincides with ongoing debates in Australia regarding updated regulations like advertising restrictions for operators. However, the country’s fragmented political landscape makes meaningful reforms difficult, so cases like that of Lowes could continue making the news.