The Government of Victoria, Australia’s second most populated state, has announced the introduction of new responsible gaming measures which are expected to be implemented mainly at Crown Melbourne, the largest and most prominent casino in the state.
The Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Melissa Horne, issued a direction requiring the casino to update its responsible gambling code of conduct with the new rules.
Under these new rules, anyone who has gambled for more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period must take a 24-hour break, with a maximum limit of 36 hours of gambling per week for any person. Crown Melbourne’s responsible gambling staff will have to enforce these rules and will also have the power to exclude a customer from the casino floor.
In addition to the cool-off period, the operator is expected to enforce 15-minute breaks if a person has been gambling for more than three hours. According to the Minister, the updated code of conduct and the mandatory pre-commitment in all electronic gaming machines, which the operator plans to implement by the end of the year, will make the gambling harm reduction protections “world leading for a casino of this size.”
Moreover, Melissa Horne explained that Crown Melbourne has two choices: become “a global leader in the reduction of gambling harm” or lose their casino license in the state of Victoria.