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Summary:
- Crown Melbourne is required to implement mandatory gambling breaks for customers
- The new measure is designed to combat gambling harm
- This decision will make Crown Casino a global leader in gambling harm reduction
Melbourne’s Crown Casino is set to implement gambling breaks as part of a new measure aimed at tackling gambling harm.
Customers who gamble for 12 hours in a day won’t be allowed to play for the next 24 hours under a direction issued by the Casino, Gambling, and Liquor Regulation Minister Melissa Horne.
Rules Part Of New Direction from Victorian Govt.
Under the new rules, Crown Casino will also enforce a mandatory 15-minute break for customers who have been gambling for three straight hours. Patrons won’t be able to play for more than 36 hours in a single week at the Melbourne casino.
The new requirement should form part of Crown Casino’s code of conduct which it needs to update within six months. Failure to fully comply with the new requirement will put Crown at risk of paying a fine of up to $100 million.
Horne said strengthening player protections at Crown Casino will help combat problem gambling and bring the Melbourne venue to the forefront of gambling harm reduction. No other casino in Australia or the world has implemented similar harm reduction protections which means Crown Casino will be a global leader in this area, according to Horne.
The gambling breaks are just the latest in a series of major reforms that Crown Casino has been obliged to implement after a Royal Commission inquiry in 2021 found it unfit to hold a license in Victoria.
The Victorian government decided not to revoke the casino’s license under strict conditions, including improving its responsible gambling procedures. Over the past 18 months, the Southbank casino increased the number of its responsible gambling staff by nearly 80% as part of an enhanced approach to responsible gambling which Crown Melbourne CEO Mike Volkert said will create a healthier, safer gambling culture for all.
The new direction from Minister Horne is in response to a recommendation from the 2021 Royal Commission report which found that Crown Casino committed serious failings in its Responsible Service of Gambling obligations.
The casino allowed customers to gamble for long periods without a break and without any intervention to prevent gambling harm. As a result, the company was fined a record AU$120 million by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC).
Use of Evidence-Based Responsible Gambling Taglines
In addition to the implementation of the gambling breaks, Minister Horne also announced new rules for gambling advertisers, requiring them to use evidence-based responsible gambling taglines for their advertising campaigns, such as “You win some, you lose more” and “Chances are, you’re about to lose”.
