The Allan Labor Government in Victoria has resumed plans for its trial of carded poker machine play, due to begin next month, despite a recent rethink and the concept being scrapped in NSW.
As the next instalment in its gambling reforms, the government of Victoria is set to proceed with a trial of ‘mandatory account-based’ play on EGMs, due to run from September to November.
It is slated to operate at all 43 venues with gaming machines in Monash, Greater Dandenong and Ballarat. Punters will need to use a YourPlay card to play the machines, which also allows them to set loss limits.
Victoria collected $1.4 billion in poker machine taxes in 2024, but is carrying through with plans stemming from an announcement by former premier Daniel Andrews in 2023 that the state would do more to combat gambling issues.
To date measure have included: mandatory closure periods (4am-10am) for all gaming areas; reducing new machine spin rates; limiting EFTPOS cash withdrawals to $500 per card per 24 hours; capping the number of machines in the state until 2042; prohibiting cheque cashing in or around gaming venues; and introducing a new code of conduct to strengthen the obligations of venue operators.
Earlier this year the state government announced it would proceed with its trial, including cutting the maximum cash input from $1K to $100.
But in May the plans were put on hold, with Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Enver Erdogan, citing they needed “a phased approach to ensure we get implementation right and bring industry along with us”.
The latest announcement is said to follow ongoing consultation with industry and stakeholders.
The goal of the scheme is to give greater control to gamblers, the mandatory account-based play potentially giving people more power over their gambling habits and greater insight into their spending.
It is also intended to address the issue of money laundering by preventing criminals from ‘washing’ cash through the machines, without the need for any identification.
It echoes the system imposed on Melbourne’s Crown Casino’s 2,400 machines in response to the findings of the royal commission, and the conditions placed on the two Sydney casinos.
Star Sydney has been struggling to meet its financial commitments, after reporting a 17 per cent decline in average daily revenue compared to the month prior to restrictions being implemented, which it attributes to the introduction of mandatory identification cards and the restriction of cash use. Punters at both Sydney casinos are limited to gambling $5K in cash per day. This figure is scheduled to drop to a $1K this month, but both operators have requested a delay.
In NSW AUSTRAC has also announced a probe into the anti-money-laundering (AML) practises uncovered at one of the state’s biggest club operators, Mounties, after claiming illicit activity is shifting from the casinos to pubs and clubs.
Prominent Victorian operator Dave Tomsic recently spoke to PubTIC about what he sees as the ‘elephant in the gaming room’ in the explosion of online casinos and sports betting available to punters, pleading that venues are a better place for gamblers, given their level of regulation, support for the community and employment of locals.
“The more you restrict us, you are only pushing people online,” he suggests. “It’s like cigarettes; you tax them but no-one stops, it just goes underground.”
The trial of cashless gaming in NSW in 2024 saw the original influx of venue volunteers wither to just a handful, and actual users of the system drop to less than twenty. The realities of the concept were not lost, with industry branding the trial’s report as ‘not credible’ and Premier Chris Minns recently suggesting the government would not be proceeding with it.
“Despite everybody’s best effort to have cashless gaming rolled out across NSW gaming, it’s largely proved to be ineffective,” said Minns.
Conversely, Victoria’s Minister Erdogan is optimistic about his state’s trial and what it represents.
“We’re leading the country with our major reforms to prevent gambling harm across Victoria.
“This trial is an important first step – helping people take control of their gambling and make better choices.”
Victoria’s regulator, the VGCCC, is also rolling out its Gambling Harm Awareness Week (GHAW), taking place 27 October to 2 November. The Commission is committed to making GHAW a key part of efforts to raise awareness, and will provide stakeholders a campaign theme in the coming months.
Venues and staff will be supported throughout the mandatory carded trial period with training, communication materials and in-venue support.
