The government for the state of Victoria has ordered Crown Melbourne to make changes to its code of conduct regarding responsible gaming, with strict new time limits for players chief among them.
According to government filings reported by Inside Asian Gaming, the property must institute mandatory 15-minute breaks for any patrons who eclipse three hours of continuous play. Additionally, any patrons who gamble for over 12 hours in any 24-hour period must then be barred for a period of 24 hours, and no player is to gamble for more than 36 total hours in a week.
Crown’s responsible gaming staff will have the authority to remove players for breaks and potentially exclude them from the property if their behavior suggests a pattern of problem gambling.
State officials indicated that the new directive was inspired by one of the suggestions from the recent Royal Commission, which deemed Crown to be unsuitable for casino licensure in Victoria.
Melissa Horne, the state’s minister for casino, gaming and liquor regulation, said that the “direction reflects my expectations that Crown must aim to be a global leader in the reduction of gambling harm – or lose their license,” according to IAG.
“Crown is on track to implement mandatory pre-commitment in all electronic gaming machines by the end of this year,” Horne added. “When combined with the strengthened code of conduct, the harm reduction protections will be world leading for a casino of this size.”
Crown has been allotted a six-month window to implement the new directive, which will be monitored by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC). The maximum fine for violations is set at US$67 million.
