Crown set to be a winner from Victorian pokies clampdown

afr.com:

Crown Melbourne is set to be the beneficiary of restrictions on gaming machines in Victoria, with all venues bar the casino forced to close them between 4am and 10am from the middle of next year.

The changes, announced by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday, are designed to reduce harm on gamblers in the state.

“These machines are the cause of terrible harm,” Mr Andrews said. “We all pay the price, or at least contribute to the cost, of gambling harm, more than $7 billion a year. So, we’re talking about lost income, the cost of sending someone to jail, the cost of counselling, of support, of emergency relief, of mental health care, the list goes on. We’re called to do more.”

“We’re called to do more”: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday announced a series of reforms for the state’s 30,000 poker machines. Gus McCubbing

All 30,000 electronic gaming machines in Victoria will have mandatory pre-commitment limits and carded play, with load limits reduced from $1000 to $100. New machines will also be forced to have a spin rate of three seconds per game, down from 2.1 seconds.

Crown Melbourne will have mandated pre-commitment and carded play on its 2700 pokies by the end of 2023, but will not be affected by the incoming restrictions on opening hours, Gaming Minister Melissa Horne said.

“Crown is an international tourism destination and so those opening hours will not apply at Crown. They’re implementing mandatory carded play by the end of this year – that’ll apply to approximately 10 per cent of all the poker machines in the state,” Ms Horne said.

Victorian gaming minister Melissa Horne. Gus McCubbing

Gamblers at the Southbank casino will need to prove their identity to get a card, set mandatory pre-commitment