On October 3, the state government of Victoria proposed a new bill, known as the Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2023, that would expand its gaming oversight to include mandatory pre-commitment and carded play for machines statewide, as well as the authority to take control of the Crown Melbourne casino should the operator fail to regain full control of its license.
The bill would introduce several new policies, including mandatory down times every night from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. for all machines not located in casinos, and the ability for the state’s gaming minister to take offerings off of betting menus if they are deemed to be harmful to public interest, such as sports that include players under the age of 18.
With regard to Crown Melbourne, the recent Royal Commission found the operator to be unfit for licensure due to a slew of regulatory mishaps, which resulted in 33 recommendations from the commission—the government has vowed to enact or pursue all of them.
As a result, Crown Melbourne was placed under the supervision of a third-party Special Manager to help oversee and guide remediation efforts. However, if the property does not return to suitability within a span of two years, the government may step in and take control of the property, as the recent bill lays out.
Starting in December, all Victorian bettors must pre-commit to loss limits before playing gaming machines, and mandatory carded play will also be enforced. This must also be the case for table games as well starting in December 2025, but the technology for this has yet to be developed.
“Our previous reforms have delivered stronger oversight of the gambling industry in Victoria with a regulator unafraid to hold venues to account – now we’re doing more important work to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm,” Melissa Horne, minister for casino, gaming and liquor regulation, said in a statement.
“We’ve seen predatory behavior from some venues, allowing people to keep gambling for hours, at any hour. Closing gaming areas between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. will give people an important break to reassess and walk away.”
