The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has barred operator Tabcorp from accepting cash at its gaming machines in the state unless they are supervised by staff, following a case in which a 16-year-old was allowed to gamble at several venues from early 2022 to late 2023, racking up approximately AU$100,000 in gambling debt along the way.
Per the VGCCC, the teenager illegally gambled more than 30 times across that span, in venues throughout the suburbs of Melbourne. Tabcorp has reportedly been given until the end of the month to comply with the new directive.
According to the language of the new directive, all machines in Victorian bars and clubs that cannot be monitored by a staff member within a five-meter radius will no longer be allowed to take cash.
Instead, players will have to go to the front desk to obtain credit vouchers to play, and have their ID verified in the process.
Initial estimates say that this change in policy could affect 70 percent of the total machine count in the state, which is approximately 1,800, according to the Guardian.
Additionally, the regulator said that it will deploy “secret shoppers” to ensure that venues are in compliance with the new directive, adding that anyone who looks to be under the age of 25 will be asked to show ID again.
“We decided enough was enough,” Annette Kimmitt, CEO of the VGCCC, told the Guardian. “You could just insert your cash and make your bets. Children were using these machines.”
“If the venues don’t check IDs then there are a series of escalating consequences,” Kimmitt continued. “But ultimately, if they don’t get their acts together, those terminals will be removed.”
In response, a Tabcorp spokesperson told the outlet that the company will “work with the VGCCCand the retail network for a smooth implementation.”
In related news, Kimmett has also begun to put pressure on the federal government to make a decision regarding advertising reform, about six months after a phased three-year ban was proposed.
In another interview with the Guardian, Kimmitt said that she has been inundated with complaints from constituents who say that their children have started gambling online without their knowledge.
“When people find out I am the head of the Victorian gambling regulator, I am bombarded with stories from parents of teenagers who have discovered that their children have online wagering accounts,” the regulator said.
“The other thing that is constantly raised with me is ‘when are you going to ban the ads?’ My response is, ‘I wish I could, but that is not up to me,’” she continued.
Kimmitt’s comments are the latest push for advertising reform in the market that has long been considered to be the most lucrative in terms of gambling losses per capita.
The phased ban proposal, championed by late Labor MP Peta Murphy, would include four phases—the first two parts would see ads banned on social media and online, followed by ad bans in sports stadiums and during events themselves.
That would be followed by a broadcast ban during set hours, eventually culminating in an all-out ban.
While the social media and broadcast components have yet to gain traction, the sports side is already making attempts to cut back. Last year, it was reported that bookmakers and sports leagues have been meeting with Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, with Rowland urging for an end to jersey sponsorship deals.
It is unclear at this time which direction the federal government will go, but most believe that the longer the process is drawn out, the less drastic the reform will eventually be.
