Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Bills

Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024

Second reading

Debate resumed.

Tim READ (Brunswick) (18:23): I seem to have cleared the room out a little here. I rise to speak on the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024. The Greens do welcome efforts to reduce gambling harm, and poker machines contribute an enormous amount to that harm. These machines of misery are purposely designed to generate addiction. Poker machines strip-mine the physical health, the mental health and the finances and futures of individuals, families and communities across the state. In Victoria across the last year, in 2023–24, the losses to poker machines were just over $3 billion, the highest on record. So we did welcome the announcement in July 2023 that the previous minister and previous Premier made that all gambling venues in Victoria will require mandatory carded play with precommitment limits.

Now, getting on towards two years later, we have got this bill, which is designed to give powers to the minister to introduce mandatory precommitment and carded play transition arrangements for gambling venues across Victoria. In plain English, this will mean that people are not able to use poker machines unless they have an ID-linked card called mandatory carded play, and the player will be able to set their own voluntary daily limits on the card, known as precommitment. As the Alliance for Gambling Reform tells us:

Evidence shows that mandatory carded play with pre-commitment is the gold standard for reducing gambling harm from poker machines.

As a result of the royal commission, this was implemented at Crown from December last year. And while the Greens would prefer a policy setting that Western Australia still has in place, where poker machines are contained only to the casino and not let loose like a pack of hungry wolves across our communities in pubs and clubs, it is important that all venues in Victoria with poker machines have this same system. I would like to acknowledge the government’s reforms that have been introduced already, such as uniform closing times for poker machine venues as well as reform of Crown and the new regulator, which has substantive powers and is now investigating the industry and issuing fines for breaches.

We also support that this bill has a provision that will lower spin rates of poker machines from the current 2.3 seconds to 3 seconds per spin. The bill will also require ID verification requirements for cash payouts of more than $1000, which is a welcome anti-money-laundering measure. As we understand from briefings that the minister’s office has provided, because the bill does not contain this amount of detail, the intention is that a daily limit will be possible but the person using the poker machine must set their own daily limit and, once that limit is reached, the card will lock the player out. We understand that there will be no legislated daily limit, unfortunately, so theoretically a person could set their own limit to lose $1000 or $10,000 or $100,000 per day, but at least it will be mandatory to set a limit.

Other issues that we would like to see addressed are slower spin rates – slower still – loyalty scheme infringement notices, voluntary binding loss limits lasting for 48 hours and turning off losses disguised as wins. One of the main concerns the Greens have is the implementation schedule of these reforms, which is split in three phases over 2025, 2026 and 2027. We know that the substantive harm reduction benefits of the bill will only occur when both mandatory cards and precommitment are in place, which is (a) not in the legislation but will be at the minister’s discretion via directions or regulations and (b) scheduled for 2027, which is after the next state election and therefore at the whim of the new minister. Given that there has been so much arguing in the other place over what date this year a machete will be banned in Victoria, surely putting a date in this bill to limit the $3 billion worth of annual losses that Victorians suffer, including suffering that can sometimes include death or injury, is not unreasonable. The delayed introduction of these modest reforms suggests Labor is not terribly enthusiastic about regulating a system that preys on the vulnerable and worsens poverty.

Gambling is a dangerous industry that profits off misery and harm, and while this bill has important reforms that will reduce gambling harm, they should go further and can too easily be wound back by a change in government. To protect the countless Victorian families impacted by gambling harm, we need to legislate these reforms properly and we want to work with the government to make that happen.

Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD (Broadmeadows) (18:28): I rise to support the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024. Firstly I would like to acknowledge the work of Minister Horne in her time as Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation on gambling reform. I congratulate her strong advocacy and tireless work towards minimising gambling harm in the Victorian community, and I know the new minister is just as committed to reform.

The Allan Labor government has already taken significant steps to minimise gambling-related harm, including establishing the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, VGCCC, Australia’s strongest gambling regulator; mandatory carded play for pokies at Crown, ensuring players track and manage their gambling; and mandatory closure periods. Since 30 August 2024, all hotels and clubs must close gaming areas between 4 am and 10 am to reduce extended gambling sessions. This bill ensures that the steps already implemented to minimise gambling harm continue to be supported by even stronger measures.

The cost of gambling goes beyond the individual. It affects families, businesses and the wider community. When gambling becomes out of control, the costs are financial distress, mental health issues and problems at work and with relationships. The link between gambling harm and suicide is long established, with Suicide Prevention Australia noting that nearly one in five people showing signs of suicidal behaviour also struggle with gambling addiction.

This bill will introduce account-based play on gaming machines in Victoria, building on the carded play already implemented at Crown.

A patron will need to insert a card to use a gaming machine, with the card allowing the player to track their gambling habits and allowing them to precommit to a maximum limit that they are willing to lose. Technology is rapidly evolving. Our phones tell us the screen time, can track our preferences and target advertising. It is time to use technology and data to help reduce gambling harm in a positive way. Precommitment allows players to set voluntary limits, helping to prevent financial harm before it occurs, while still allowing them to enjoy gaming responsibly. Account-based play provides more real-time information to patrons, helping them to keep an eye on just exactly how much they are spending and losing. It also enables a range of harm-minimisation measures, including precommitment. The repetitive nature of electronic gaming machines makes it all too easy to lose track of how much has been spent. By imposing a limit on the card it reduces the potential to spend more than you originally planned. The card will also safeguard by having a cooling-off period for any increases to the precommitment limit. The increased limit will only come into effect after 24 hours, mitigating the risk of creeping up a limit once the losses accumulate.

Account-based play will also introduce identity requirements to be attached to each card. This will help prevent criminals from using the machines and the venues to launder money obtained from the proceeds of crime. The additional layer of identity security will ensure that venues are verifying the identity of players before paying out credits of $2000 or more. Money laundering is always rapidly evolving, so this bill will help strengthen the existing protections.

People visit gaming venues not just for gambling activities but also for affordable meals, social participation, recreation and entertainment. For many it is an opportunity to combat loneliness and isolation. This bill will ensure that gambling remains a recreation and not an addiction. I would like to highlight some of the important work being done by local councils and groups to offer alternative social opportunities to the community outside of a gaming venue. Libraries After Dark offers a variety of after-hours programming provided through local libraries on Thursday nights across 13 local government areas. The program is designed to provide at-risk groups with a range of social or recreational options during the evening. Libraries After Dark was funded by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation through their 2020–24 strategic partnership program. It was first trialled in Merri-bek many years ago. The program runs in my electorate at both Broadmeadows and Glenroy libraries, and it is different every week. It offers things like board games, film and sports screenings, workshops and fascinating guest speakers. It is a safe and inclusive environment offering alternative activities to a night spent at a local gaming facility.

I would also like to thank the work of the Chatty Cafe Scheme operating in my Broadmeadows electorate through both the Glenroy and Broadmeadows libraries and the Dallas Neighbourhood House. The Chatty Cafe movement aims to reduce social isolation and loneliness by supporting the local community to connect. Neighbourhood houses and libraries do such a wonderful job of running low-cost or often free programs and offering a safe space to anyone to come, and they are always welcoming and abuzz with activity. Loneliness and isolation is a huge problem in our communities, and these programs help prevent that and address it.

It was great to see the Dallas Neighbourhood House with Minister Spence lately and to hear all about their wonderful programs, including Crafty Sisters; Morning Melodies; coffee, cake and bingo; community lunches; Discomania; Spanish seniors group; Turkish women’s group; Turkish choir; Musical Fun Times; carpet bowls; chair exercises and meditation; walk, talk and feel good; Young @ Hearts; Out & About; English and digital literacy courses for everyone but also the Vietnamese community; cooking, gardening and sewing classes; refugee and asylum seeker support; assistance with form filling; advocacy and financial materials support; and a food parcel program, which we recently granted an additional $45,000 to.

I would also like to thank Hume council for their work in reducing gambling harm in the community. Their gambling harm minimisation policy acknowledges that whilst gambling is a legal activity, for some it can lead to harmful consequences, not only for the gambler but also for families in the wider community. Their commitment to gambling harm reduction in a public health manner ensures that the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors is at the heart of their approach to gambling in my electorate. Social isolation due to language, age and socio-economic restraints is an issue faced by residents in Broadmeadows. Gambling is an issue that affects many in the local community, and the council has worked hard to minimise gambling-related harm by ensuring gaming venues have a regulated role and ensure the responsible serving of gambling and alcohol.

I also want to give a shout-out to Merri-bek council for their longstanding commitment to gambling harm minimisation and particularly former fellow councillors Alice Pryor and Mark Higginbotham at what was then the Moreland council for their strong advocacy over many years.

It was also pleasing to get a letter from Martin Thomas, the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, stating that:

Evidence shows that mandatory carded play with pre-commitment is the gold standard for reducing gambling harm from poker machines. As a result of the Royal Commission, this was implemented at Crown from December 2024 and this legislation supports the remaining venues in Victoria with EGM’s to have the same system for patrons to play.

The losses to poker machines in Victoria in 2023/24 were $3.03b, the highest on record.

The Alliance strongly supports and applauds Victoria’s decision to support the mandatory carded play with pre-commitment …

I really thank the Alliance for Gambling Reform and the 24 local leadership councils for their ongoing work and advocacy in this space, including Merri-bek, Hume, Mooney Valley, Darebin, Mitchell, Mornington, Whitehorse, Wyndham, Knox, Maribyrnong, Manningham, Kingston, Hobsons Bay, Shepparton, Monash, Maroondah, Dandenong, Whittlesea, Melbourne, Banyule, Yarra, Glen Eira, Frankston and Brimbank. It is really important work, and I am so pleased that their councillors helped fund the anti-gambling alliance.

While this bill focuses on minimising gambling-related harm, we must acknowledge the place that community clubs, RSLs and hospitality venues play within the Victorian community. For many, they are a place to catch up with friends and family, celebrate special occasions or just enjoy a night out. The group of mums I met in my eldest’s first year of primary school are still firm friends, and we regularly catch up at the Glenroy RSL for a central place to have dinner and a good yarn. I thank Ken and the team from the RSL for always making locals feel welcome. Many community clubs also make a significant contribution to local communities, supporting grassroots sport, charities and social programs that benefit thousands of Victorians. All of these programs in turn provide an outlet and an opportunity to exercise, socialise and participate in activities that keep people of all ages occupied and away from gambling harm.

This bill introduces further measures to reduce gambling harm. In addition to carded play, all new electronic gaming machines installed in venues as part of a prescribed date will need to have a spin rate of longer than 3 seconds. The spin rate is currently set at 2.14 seconds, so this legislation will slow down the speed and amount of turns for the same time currently being played on machines. Research has found that higher play speeds are associated with higher bets, longer play and some level of impaired control while gambling. Slowing the spin rate will help slow the pace at which gamblers lose money and is expected to reduce gambling harm. The Allan Labor government has already implemented the closure of local gaming venues from 4 am to 10 am, another crucial step to reduce impaired judgement. Fatigue reduces the player’s ability to make good decisions. All of these measures go hand in hand to ensure that the player can make informed and good choices with playing EGMs.

Rest, a slower spin rate on gaming machines to prevent rapid and excessive gambling, precommitment levels and information on gambling trends will minimise harm and support responsible gaming. Slowing the spin rate on gambling machines goes further towards reducing money laundering as well, as the time taking to launder the same amount of money will increase and discourage the illegal activity. The Allan Labor government is clear in its commitment. This bill will also create more accountability for loyalty scheme providers. They must provide information when required to ensure that venue rewards programs are not being used to encourage excessive gambling. I support the bill.

Meng Heang TAK (Clarinda) (18:38): If I can sort of pass on the time, you can have another 2 minutes. I am pleased to rise today to speak in favour of the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024. This is another important bill, one of the many gambling-related amendments that we have seen here in this place over the past few years. I would like to take this opportunity to also commend the minister in the other place for that and for bringing this bill forward. The host of legislation being delivered shows the commitment of the minister and this government to delivering on the recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence and, importantly, to gambling harm minimisation, which is extremely important to many of my constituents.

I want to also acknowledge the bravery and experience of the member for Eureka. I also agree with the member for Melton; sometimes we do gamble in a recreational way. Sometimes you go out with your friends and just put $20 or $50 into that.

This is another important bill, which will amend the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 and the Casino Control Act 1991 in relation to precommitment and carded play. This is welcome news in my electorate, across the City of Greater Dandenong and City of Kingston and across the south-east.

I have spoken on gambling-related harm in the Clarinda district many times before in this place, and it has continued to be an issue for many. The City of Greater Dandenong in particular, as you may know, Acting Speaker, continues to suffer, and the statistics are quite alarming. On the 2023–24 figures, almost $138 million was lost to pokies in the 14 gambling venues in just the City of Greater Dandenong. That is very high considering the socio-economic situation in this local government area, amounting to the second highest rate of pokies loss per adult in Victoria. It is devastating that so often this is targeting and hurting those that can least afford it, and the wider impacts are being felt across the community from the harm to the health and wellbeing of many of my constituents through financial stress, relationship breakdown, family violence and mental illness and other negative impacts that come with gambling addiction. It is important that we continue to remind ourselves of this harm and we continue to work together to address and mitigate the harm wherever we can.

I want to acknowledge the many community organisations that have worked so hard to combat that. There are some great community organisations working to address this impact. In my own community, there are the Cambodian Association of Victoria, the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association and the South East Melbourne Vietnamese Association Council, also known as SEMVAC, and I commend these organisations for the work that they do and also the many other community organisations. We will continue to support this work and to deliver the legislation that will help minimise gambling-related harm wherever possible. That continues here today with this bill, one that will amend the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 and the Casino Control Act 1991 in relation to precommitment and carded play.

There are some important tools in this bill. Firstly the bill will amend the permitted spin rate on gaming machines to a minimum of 3 seconds. This is an important practical step, slowing the pace of the game down and limiting the amount that can be lost. It can be dizzying and also really sad to see the rapid fire of spin, over and over and over, with some of our vulnerable just hitting the electronic gaming machine button as fast as possible and watching those losses add up and add up and add up. This is an important reform that will keep pace with the emerging technologies gaming machines are using, produce a safer gambling environment and help vulnerable patrons to take a break.

There is also a requirement for a player card to be issued to meet the requirements set out in the regulations, and an operator will be prohibited from issuing a player card without first verifying the player identity, which as we heard is an important change. Not having my own experience, I listened keenly yesterday to the contributions by members from the other side talking about it as just a leisure or recreational activity. You know, you think that you can put $20 or $50 in a gaming machine, but nowadays you have to go through double-ID authentication. These are all the preventative, minimising measures.

There are also powers for the minister, which include enabling the minister to direct the loyalty scheme provider or venue operator to provide loyalty scheme information to the minister or to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission. There is also an ability to direct and monitor to ensure a person may not play on a gaming machine without a player account.

Additionally, the bill will prohibit a venue operator from allowing someone to play a gaming machine without using a player card where a direction to the monitor is in place, and it will expand the existing regulation-making power so a requirement may be prescribed for precommitment and carded play here. There are important changes that set out the framework for mandatory and binding precommitment across Victoria, and that is important because it helps to put the power back into the consumers’ hands and support them to gamble within their limit. Account-based play provides more and real-time information to a player, helping them to take control of their own decisions. It has also enabled a range of harm-minimisation measures which of course include precommitment and what I already said about you having to have a card in order to put a bet on. Amount-based play and identity requirements also help prevent criminals from using venues and machines to launder money, which is another positive step which is also important for my constituents in the south-east. These reforms build on the findings of the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence and provide the framework to expand the nation-leading protections introduced at the Melbourne casino to the other gaming venues across the state. Again, these are important changes that will be welcome news for many in my community of Clarinda, and as such I am proud to support these changes here today.

Once again I commend the effort of the minister in the other place for bringing them forward and for the commitment to minimising gambling harm in our community. We have seen a demonstrated commitment from the government to addressing and tackling that harm through the host of legislation that we have introduced, but there is more work to be done to protect our community from gaming harm. That will continue to be done here with this bill and will be ongoing in the community. I look forward to continuing to work with the community locally, with some of our local groups, as mentioned above, as well as with council and with others to continue to push for change, particularly in Greater Dandenong and in our multicultural community. I want to continue too that hard and important conversation to address the stigma of gambling harms and encourage help seeking. This is really important, and we continue to do everything we can to support and to protect our community and to deliver legislation, regulation and initiatives that can deliver real, meaningful change where it is needed. I commend this bill to the house.

John LISTER (Werribee) (18:48): I rise to speak in favour of the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024. It was not too long ago that I made the very rare trip into Melbourne – it is very rare that I cross the West Gate – for a family dinner at Crown. Walking through the maze of corridors, we went through the pokies area and soon the $20 note in my pocket started burning a hole. I went to try and throw the $20 into something like More Chilli or one of those flashing pokie things that they have got at Crown, but I could not. I saw firsthand those new card-play rules in action, and I kept that lobster in my pocket. In all seriousness, this legislation is not just about reducing the opportunity for the occasional punt. This is about minimising harm for people who may be at risk or are displaying signs of addiction to gambling. This bill strikes a balance between providing those restrictions while ensuring that community clubs, RSLs and hospitality venues remain an important part of Victorian life.

By introducing account-based play on gaming machines in Victoria, we are putting the power back in the hands of patrons. We know that when punters lose control the cost is financial distress, mental health concerns and relationship issues. We are serious about addressing gambling harm and money laundering in gaming, which is exactly why we are establishing further protections for the community. As technology evolves and best practice continues to develop, these reforms provide a flexible and adaptable foundation that allows for improvement and refinement. No government has done more than this government to prevent gambling-related harm.

There are a number of community clubs in my electorate that take in gaming revenue and invest these profits back into my local community, including the Werribee RSL, which is now one of my neighbours in my new electorate office, which does a lot for veterans in Wyndham and leads the remembrance activities in our community. It was only on Friday that I dropped by to enjoy some of that hospitality with some former colleagues. The Italian Sports Club is also a venue in my electorate, which helps support our emerging soccer stars in Wyndham. There are a number of pubs which have gaming machines as well. While we do see some good work from the profits from these poker machines, we do know there is a great deal of harm that comes from gambling and being out of control of gambling. Werribee, Manor Lakes, Wyndham Vale and Little River are working-class communities where some people live pay cheque to pay cheque. Some of the communities with the lowest socio-economic outcomes are in my electorate. This government is doing a lot to reduce cost-of-living pressures on families, and it would be remiss to not also target the causes of financial harm for communities like mine. Some data from a few years ago shows that nearly $290,000 a day is lost in the Wyndham local government area through pokie machines and problem gambling. We need to make sure that harm that stems from problem gambling is minimised.

I have seen the effect gambling addiction has on local families through my work in a school. It is not just the financial impact but the emotional toll that tears families apart. A 2016 report identified the following types of harm: relationship difficulties, health problems, emotional and psychological distress, financial problems, issues with work or study, cultural problems and criminal activity. In my electorate we also have an extremely culturally diverse community. There are specific issues with gambling amongst different culturally and linguistically diverse groups, something identified by Turning Point addiction services in a report. Some of the specific issues include gambling being a part of their culture and how they socialise, seeing gambling as part of the Australian culture that they are now in and feeling isolated and finding gambling venues welcoming. I echo some of the words from the member for Broadmeadows about the great programs offering alternative venues for this socialisation outside of those normal hours of the day – they really important to have. There are also issues around experiencing trauma and how that can lead to problem gambling. There are also issues with using gambling as a way to cope with stress. Finally, one of the other things that this report found was that quite often people feel pressure to make the most of their new life in a new country and turn to gambling.

These reforms have been spoken about in a lot of detail by many people in the house here tonight and throughout the day, but I just want to touch on a few particular things that this bill seeks to do. Introducing mandatory carded play and having the pilot program and rolling it out across the state is a really important staged approach to have that technology and system so that people can control what they spend and what they are willing to lose. This precommitment allows players to set voluntary limits, helping to prevent financial harm before it occurs, while still allowing them to have a punt. We also know that technology is changing. For many people digital cards are replacing physical cards. It was very rare for me to have that $20 in my pocket that night; I do not know where I got it from. But as a millennial, I do not carry cash. This legislation provides a framework to adapt to emerging technologies, including an increasingly cashless society. We also know that these electronic gaming machines are extremely bright and colourful. They draw you in through the ways that they are set up and the way that the games on these machines are set up.

One particular change that this bill brings in that I really, really commend is having a spin rate of a minimum of 3 seconds. The spin rate, currently 2.14 seconds, which is extremely specific, is the amount of time it takes to play one spin on one of these machines. I indulged and did a little bit of research into the psychological and behavioural factors around this particular way of gameplay. The Journal of Gambling Studies in 2017 did a review of a lot of different psychological studies, and Harris and Griffiths found that there was a consistent finding across all of those studies that games with faster speeds of play were preferred and rated as more exciting for all gamblers ranging from non-problem to problem gamblers. So having these different changes to gameplay and having that card are really important to make sure that we help those people who are at risk of becoming problem gamblers but also those people who may be showing those signs of problem gambling already.

I understand and I have heard some people’s calls for the carded play changes to be rolled out sooner ‍– particularly Tim Costello’s comment during the week – but a phased approach with a pilot program, rolling it out statewide at the end of the year, is really important to make sure that all these venues, including some of those smaller venues that I have in my electorate, have time to get it right. Particularly with some of these smaller venues they have got their poker machines in the back room but they are predominantly a pub. I think of the good old Racecourse Hotel on Cottrell Street in Werribee. It is not a pokies venue, but it has got pokies. We need to make sure that we looking after the people who operate these smaller community clubs and pubs but also make sure that we introduce these and make sure that this works.

We have already done a lot when it comes to this. We have had reforms around making sure gaming is fair, responsible and transparent, including establishing the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, which is the strongest gambling regulator in Australia with enhanced oversight and enforcement powers. One of the really important things, and I think it goes to what the member for Broadmeadows was also talking about earlier, is having those mandatory closure periods. Since 30 August 2024 all hotels and clubs must close gaming areas between 4 am and 10 am to reduce extended gambling sessions. I recall going out to a fire call last year. It was about 5 in the morning and it was a bin on fire in Watton Street – classic. We have all been to a bin fire if you are in the fire services, but what I remember is across the road was the good old Commercial Hotel, which is one of our local pokies venues. It was 5 o’clock in the morning and there were people in the smokers area near the pokies having a chat to us. They told us some good intel about who did it, although I would rather that intel came from the city council’s CCTV rather than a pokies venue at 5 o’clock in the morning. So having these mandatory closure periods are really important to sort of build a bit more of a standard in our community around what is acceptable while still having a place for people who might need that socialisation to go to as well.

In concluding my remarks on the bill, I would like to thank the gambling support services that I have locally, including IPC Health.

Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (18:58): I am pleased to stand today in support of the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024, which introduces further reforms to minimise gambling harm in our community and across Victoria.

Like many in this place, I like to have a bet when I am at the races. I like to tip in to a punters club when I am at the track or just have an interest in a race for a bit of fun, but I know that gambling harm is a significant issue for far too many Victorians. According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, around 18 per cent of Victorians who gambled or 8 per cent of all Victorians were classified as being at risk of or already experiencing gambling-related problems. When I refer to gambling harm, I am not only talking about the loss or damage to a person’s financial position, their bank balance or the money they have. Gambling harm does not just impact someone’s finances. Gambling harm can impact all aspects of their life. It can have a serious impact on people’s relationships with their partner, their families, their friends, their work colleagues. Gambling harm can impact people’s work, their housing, their physical and mental health and their wellbeing. The member for Melton talked about people taking their own lives or attempting to as a result of the disastrous impact of gambling.

Gambling is legal in Victoria, and electronic gaming machines are easy to access at local pubs and clubs in my community. Hospitality venues, pubs and clubs, hold an important place in Victorian community life, but there is a balance that must be struck.

Business interrupted under sessional orders.