The Victorian government has unveiled a series of wide-ranging reforms aimed at tackling the harms caused by electronic gambling. The measures include the introduction of mandatory pre-commitment limits. Under the new rules, players will be restricted to a maximum of $100 per session on electronic gaming machines, significantly lower than the current limit of $1,000.
To prevent money laundering, carded play will be made compulsory for poker machines, with the exception of Crown Casino. Additionally, all gaming areas in venues with poker machines, excluding Crown Casino, will be required to close between 4am and 10am.
Premier Daniel Andrews emphasized that these changes would make Victoria a leader in electronic gambling restrictions nationwide. He acknowledged that while gambling can be a legitimate recreational activity for most Victorians, it can also cause significant harm to others. The government estimates that around 330,000 Victorians suffer harm from gambling annually, with losses reaching nearly $7 billion.
Reforms will slow down the spin rate of gaming machines to three seconds per game
In addition to the pre-commitment limits and carded play requirements, the reforms will slow down the spin rate of gaming machines to three seconds per game. This measure aims to restrict the amount of money that can be lost, as faster spin rates lead to quicker losses and the release of dopamine in the brain, which creates a false sense of winning.
To complement these reforms, the Victorian government plans to transfer certain support services for problem gambling from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) starting July 1, 2024. The VGCCC has been allocated $71 million in the state budget to expand its role in minimizing gambling-related harm.
While community clubs welcome the crackdown on money laundering, some have expressed concerns about smaller clubs being subjected to the same restrictions as larger venues. Community Clubs Victoria (CCV) CEO Andrew Lloyd highlighted the differences in size and compliance frameworks between community clubs and casinos, suggesting that the regulations should be tailored accordingly.
