Australia’s Crown Resorts has announced that its AU$13 million ($8.65 million) program for preventing gambling harm has been officially rolled out. Entitled PlaySafe, the program focuses on four key areas in order to make sure the group is in compliance with new state mandates over curbing problem gambling.
The four aspects of the plan encompass ‘gambling products and safety programs’, ‘a safer gambling culture’, ‘a focus on ‘expanded support for vulnerable or at-risk players’ and ‘a safer gambling system’.
Most importantly, the group has established a player exclusion portal online, whereas previously only an offline registration was possible.
Concretely the other measures encompass everything from slot design to partnering with government, industry, business and local help organizations, using tech to apply mandatory card systems and marketing curbs, while also identifying gambling harm and guest monitoring to ensure safe play.
The move also comes after the Victorian government announced that new strict gambling measures would be put in place in 2024, with maximum limits on pokie play set to AU$100 ($68), mandatory closure of venues for at least six hours per day, a decreased spin rate on pokies to slow potential losses and mandatory card use.
The state’s premier has lauded the moves as “the strongest gambling harm prevention and anti-money laundering measures in Australia”.
The move by Crown encompasses a new ‘website, logo, colors, language and purpose statement’. The group will also be renaming position titles and its responsible gaming centers.
Over the past 16 months the group has also been leveraging gambling harm research and policy specialist Dr. Jamie Wiebe, doubling its Crown Play Safe team over the past year and developing a new exchange hub with industry to engage and further understand the player experience.
Speaking of the move, Crown CEO Ciarán Carruthers noted that “The plan addresses new and emerging challenges associated with gambling harm, including how we improve our understanding of gambling participation and develop new harm reduction concepts and ideas.
“With a focus on collaboration and engagement with government, industry and community-based partners, I am confident that together we can reduce gambling harm and create a safer gambling future for all Australians,” notes the CEO.
Dr. Wiebe notes that “gambling safety features like mandatory carded-play, time and spend limits, and online self-exclusion are some of the many tools being implemented to support guests to play safely”.
