The Allan Labor Government is continuing its critical work to reduce gambling harm with new nation-leading reforms introduced into the Victorian Parliament.
The Labor Government today introduced the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024 that will give patrons more control over how much they spend, reducing gambling harm.
An estimated 330,000 Victorians experience harm because of gambling each year – costing Victoria around $7 billion annually and leading to significant financial distress, mental health concerns and relationship issues.
This Bill creates a framework for the introduction of carded play on gaming machines in Victoria, which will require patrons to insert a player card to operate a gaming machine – putting the power back in the hands of patrons.
The card will give people access to information about their gambling and allow them to set limits on how much they are willing to lose – known as pre-commitment.
A pilot of carded play will start in mid-2025 across selected venues and a phased approach to implementation will be taken to assist with changing patron behaviour and to reduce gambling related harm.
The current gaming machine spin rate in Victoria is 2.14 seconds. Under the reforms, any new gaming machines approved by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission after 1 December 2025 must have a spin rate of at least three seconds per game – slowing games down by 40 per cent.
From December next year, the amount of money people can load onto a machine at any time will be reduced to $100, down from $1,000 – helping people make informed decisions about their spending, change their behaviour and reduce the amount that can be lost.
Mandatory closure periods from 4am to 10am for gaming areas in all Victorian hotels and clubs came into effect from 30 August.
These reforms build on the nation-leading protections introduced at Crown and the establishment of the nation’s strongest regulator – the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission.
As stated by Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Melissa Horne
“Almost 30 per cent of Victorians who play gaming machines experience gambling harm. These laws will save lives and livelihoods by giving control back to patrons.”
“Gambling harm has consequences, not just for the person gambling but for everyone around them. These reforms provide important protections for people using gaming machines and for their loved ones.”
