Crown reprieve must be 'last chance saloon' - Bolstered regulation and big fines have helped protect casino consumers and reduce gambling harm - Alliance for Gambling Reform

Following another reprieve from the State's casino regulator, the owners of Melbourne's Crown Casino are now "on notice" to ensure that there are no more licence violations. Carol Bennett, the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, stated that Crown should understand that this is "the last chance saloon" for them to safeguard customers and improve their operations. "We accept that steps have been taken by the State Government and the VGCCC to shield consumers from the serious harm that the Royal Commission found. According to Ms. Bennett, "They have tightened up the lax regulations and are ready to fine hundreds of millions of dollars for licence violations committed by Crown. The decision made today shows that the regulator thinks Crown has been brought into compliance and that trust has been restored enough for them to keep their licence. However, they should be aware that they are under notice in case there are any more regulatory infractions. Nonetheless, Ms. Bennett stated that worries about the Crown Casino's size—which is larger than any other casino in Las Vegas by more than twice—remain. "It is concerning that large downtown casinos are an Australian phenomenon. It implies that a single operator can significantly affect the harm caused by gambling. According to Ms. Bennett, this makes it even more crucial for regulators to make sure operators are not in violation of their own licences. According to Ms. Bennett, it's time for the State Government to treat bars and clubs the same way and to provide level playing fields to make sure they're not just transferring the issue into the neighbourhood. "The State Government needs to take action in response to the growing harm caused by gambling in Victoria's country towns and suburbs. We have evidence from Crown that shows mandatory pre-commitment carded gambling is feasible for venues to implement.” More money is lost on gambling in Australia than in any other nation on the planet, with an astounding $25 billion lost annually. In 2022–2023, Victorians lost $3.022 billion to poker machines alone. These losses show the industrial-scale social harm that causes financial loss, family dissolution and violence, health problems, mental health problems, and even suicide. "Victims of gambling should be shielded from harm from gaming in the same way that Crown guests are. The time has come for the State to compel bars and clubs to offer carded play with binding, ideally defaulting limits, according to Ms. Bennett.