Victoria introduces new gambling harm measures for Crown Melbourne

New measures designed to minimise gambling harm include mandatory breaks after 3 hours.

Australia.- The Victorian government has announced new gambling harm measures for the Crown Casino in Melbourne. They include mandatory 15-minute breaks for customers who have been gambling for three continuous hours and a 24-hour break after 12 hours in a day.

Customers will be limited to a maximum of 36 hours of gambling in a week. Melissa Horne, Victoria’s casino and gaming minister, said that staff at Crown Casino would have the power to turn people away if they failed to comply with the mandatory breaks.

The changes aim to address problem gambling and reduce the potential for predatory behaviour towards vulnerable customers following the Royal Commission that declared Crown Resorts unsuitable to hold a licence for the Crown Melbourne casino. The casino operator kept its licence through the appointment of a special manager to oversee the casino for two years.

Crown said in a statement that it has been “working collaboratively with the Victorian Government on these world-class reforms and once implemented will put Crown on a path to industry best practice by reducing and preventing gambling-related harm.” 

Crown Melbourne CEO Mike Volkert also stated: “We will now work at pace to train our team members and embed the new Code. This work builds on our whole-of-company transformation that has been underway for more than 18 months, as we continue to build a Crown that exceeds the expectations of our stakeholders and communities. 

“This includes the implementation of our new and enhanced approach to responsible gambling which aims to bring about a healthier, safer gambling culture for all.” 

See also: VGCCC fines Crown Melbourne US$77.2m for serious misconduct