The Western Australian government is planning to set maximum caps on bets at electronic gaming machines at AU$10 ($6.6) on the main casino floor – set to commence on July 1st of this year. The Gaming and Wagering Commission notes that it is also ‘progressing a direction in relation to pre-set weekly loss limits, pre-set weekly time limits and carded play in all machines’ – set to come into effect by December of 2025.

Recent proposals to reform Australian gambling regulation signal a change in approach and a more robust stance following the scandals that engulfed Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment. 

The Royal Commission in Western Australia into Crown Resorts is likely to lead to significant regulatory changes in the state, with the inquiry finding the overseeing authorities had fallen short, write Jamie Nettleton and Brodie Campbell, a partner and solicitor in law firm Addisons. 

Revelations from an inquiry into Star Entertainment are an “unmitigated disaster” for good corporate governance in Australia and it may be time to consider breaking up casino monopolies, says Ben Lee, managing partner of IGamiX Management & Consulting. 

The introduction of deeper layers of regulation will result in a number of gambling operators ceasing to conduct business or merging operations in 2022, says legal expert Jamie Nettleton, a partner with Addisons. Regardless of the many trials, Australia is to remain an attractive market for local and international operators.

As Australia’s gambling authorities ponder how to shake up the country’s regulatory framework, Carly Richardson, general counsel of U.K.-listed Entain, outlines some of the biggest challenges facing companies in meeting their commitments in this area.

International credit ratings agencies have reaffirmed Crown Resorts' investment grade rating after a Royal Commission report in Melbourne said the company could keep its license even though it's behaviour had been "disgraceful."

Crown Resorts will hear in the next two weeks whether it will be allowed to keep its Melbourne casino license following a series of inquiries that will change the face of regulation in Australia.  

The New South Wales government is looking into the creation of an Independent Casino Commission, following the results of an independent inquiry into Crown Resorts.

Further damaging allegations about Crown Resorts' business practices are emerging from a Royal Commission inquiry in Victoria, which heard the company sat on recommendations to investigate money laundering for more than a year without acting.