Crown Melbourne has been formally censured by Victoria’s gambling regulator for failing to uphold mandatory harm minimization rules on poker machines.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) found the casino breached pre-commitment requirements by allowing customers to continue gambling after exceeding their nominated limits, and in some cases to play using cards not registered in their legal names.
“Poker machines are a high-risk, high-harm product,” VGCCC chair Chris O’Neill said in a statement. “Pre-commitment programs empower people to manage their gambling by setting time and money limits in advance. It is imperative, both legally and ethically, that the casino meets these obligations.”
Authorities said that between December 2023, when mandatory carded play and pre-commitment were introduced, and July this year, at least 22 customers were able to gamble beyond their declared limits. Another 10 used accounts not in their legal names to access poker machines.
The government’s YourPlay pre-commitment system is installed on all machines across the state, and is compulsory at the Melbourne casino.
The regulator said Crown had cooperated with the investigation and taken remedial steps, including strengthening staff training and monitoring, but stressed that the censure would remain on record.
“This reprimand is now on Crown’s record, and we will not hesitate to take more serious disciplinary action in the future should similar or further breaches occur”, O’Neill said.
