New Rules by Victoria’s Government to Control Crown Melbourne’s Operations

The government of the state of Victoria, Australia, has introduced 12 more recommendations to the parliament through which visitors at Crown Melbourne will have to set gambling limits. These measures were also described by the Andrews government as the strongest measures for any casino. 

Crown Visitors Will Have an AU$1,000 24-Hour Spending Limit 

These rules include a pre-commitment on electronic machines and if visitors want to play at Crown, they will have a maximum cash usage limit of AU$1,000 ($695) within 24 hours. 

All of these restrictions are the result of Crown Melbourne’s relation to money laundering risks and gambling harm, which led to the Royal Commission finding it unsuitable to hold a license. Apart from the daily spending limit, patrons will also be required to show their IDs in order to gamble or receive wins that go over AU$1,000 ($695) and they will have to use casino-issued cards.

Melissa Horne, the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, commented on the measures by saying that the legislation is the next step in the reforms to make sure that the “disgraceful conduct,” which was discovered by the Royal Commission, will not occur again. 

Tim Costello, Alliance for Gambling Reform’s chief advocate, stated that these reforms will give power to the people over the Crown. He also noted that the changes are historic and will cut Crown’s domination in terms of engagement. 

As for the pre-commitment system, Costello said that it can be linked to all pokies through hotels and clubs across Victoria. 

Crown Has Several Other Rules to Adhere To 

Apart from the spending limits, Crown Melbourne will also have to pay the cost of the casino’s regulation. People that want to have a stake greater than 5% in the casino will have to receive the green light from Victoria’s new gambling watchdog.

Previously, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission required Crown to have a single bank account where patrons can deposit funds. Smoking will be banned in high roller rooms. 

The mandatory pre-commitment for the pokies is expected to be in effect by the end of 2023, however, the government noted that the full reforms need to be implemented by December 2025.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Crown said the operator was dedicated to providing patrons with a safe and responsible gambling experience. The spokesperson also noted that the Crown will continue to work with the VGCCC and the government of Victoria to implement Royal Commission’s recommendations. Back in 2021, Royal Commission’s investigation found out that Crown Melbourne violated the Casino Control Act via illegal money transfers with China UnionPay cards. Even though Crown was found unsuitable to hold a license, its license wasn’t canceled. Instead, the operator was given the chance to reform and was hit with disciplinary action.