Victorian venues have been given a reprieve on dramatic gaming regulation reform, with the Allan government kicking the problem down the road until after the next election.
In 2023 came the sudden announcement by former premier Daniel Andrews that a system for forcing gamblers to preset what they were willing to spend playing EGMs – known as ‘mandatory pre-commitment, or ‘carded’ play – would be introduced in Victorian venues with gaming.
A similar system was forced onto Crown Casino’s 2,400 machines in response to the findings of the royal commission investigating its conduct. This has reportedly seen revenue at the casino fall.
More than a year after the policy announcement, the bill paving the way for carded play went through the lower parliament in November. Government has the numbers to get it through the upper house, with the Greens, Animal Justice Party and Legalise Cannabis party all backing it, but there have been delays. The Coalition is strategically opposed to the change.
The scheme requires a trial, slated for 40 venues over three months, to determine the appropriate technology and perform testing. This was scheduled to begin in May.
But with the passing of the deadline authorities have deferred debating the bill in the coming weeks of parliament, and it’s understood to have shelved any statewide initiative until after the 2026 election.
Victoria collected $1.4 billion in poker machine taxes in 2024 and projections for this revenue to continue unabated were reflected in the new state budget, released this week.
The delay has prompted a slew of commentary from anti-gambling advocates, seeing Reverand Costello of the Alliance for Gambling Reform labelling a ‘failure’ to implement the reforms “a massive health issue” that entrenches “harm, domestic violence, crime and addiction”.
Enver Erdogan, Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, was somewhat more measured, and suggests a revision may be on the cards.
“We’ve always said this would be a phased approach to ensure we get implementation right and bring industry along with us,” he said.
Dave Tomsic is one of Victoria’s most prolific pub owners, and one who would be greatly affected by the changes, couched as motivated out of public interest.
He readily concedes that a portion of the population struggles with gambling problems, but says the elephant in the gaming room is how the critics won’t talk about the explosion of online casinos and sports betting available to punters.
“The more you restrict us, you are only pushing people online,” he suggests.
“We are regulated, we support our communities and charities, we employ massive amounts of people.
“This carded play was going to cause more problems. It’s like cigarettes; you tax them but no-one stops, it just goes underground.”
Tomsic offers that the sentiment against poker machines is akin to a ban on sugar to combat the obesity epidemic.
“We need to take accountability for how we live.
“Our premier is doing a great job in this economy and it’s very tough times!”
