Victoria sets out to protect gamblers, focuses on pokies

Victoria will now toughen its stance on poker machines in a bid to prevent gambling-related harm and create a safer ecosystem for consumers. The news has been confirmed by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews who is set to see the state push forward with a series of reforms backed by the Gaming Minister, Melissa Horne.

Victoria is essentially putting the onus on operators of poker machines to make it harder for consumers to burn through money without taking their time to consider each bet. Among the proposed changes the state is now moving forward with are mandatory pre-commitment limits and carded play.

In other words, an individual would be able to pre-load a poker machine with $100, a ten-fold decrease from the $1,000 which is what poker machines allow as of right now. The measure will have a grace period, and it will be enacted by the summer of 2024. There will also be mandatory closure periods between 4 am and 10 am, but Crown Melbourne, will not be subject to this.

Premier Andrews said that the state was not looking to be ham-fisted or overbearing in the way it regulates the gambling industry. If anything, gambling is a valid and legitimate form of recreation for many of the state’s residents. However, there is a growing number of people suffering from the industry and reforms need to be passed, Premier Andrews added.

He described the proposed changes as a profound step that is meant to protect vulnerable consumers – presently some 330,000 people in the state suffer from gambling harm and accumulate losses of $7bn.

Among the proposals are not just a limit by how much a machine can be pre-loaded for but also what the speed of play should be. The reformists argue that they have empiric evidence that slowing the machines down to three seconds per play will prevent further losses. The measures will come with also broader reform and a shift of responsibility in the way gambling harm is addressed.

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation will transfer some of its own responsibilities to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) starting on July 1, 2024. Тhe regulator also has more funds to wield to fight problem gambling in the state. The new measures in Victoria will also introduce loss limits for players meaning that consumers will not be able to spend more than what is considered to be "safe."

Meanwhile, Australia is readying to launch a national self-exclusion program, BetStop, designed to help Australians exclude themselves from gambling everywhere in the country.

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