The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has formally censured Crown Melbourne for failing to uphold mandatory harm minimisation rules on poker machines.
The regulator found that the casino breached pre-commitment requirements by allowing customers to continue to gamble after exceeding their nominated limits, and in some instances, allowing players to use cards not registered in their legal names.
The government’s YourPlay pre-commitment program is installed on all poker machines in Victoria, and mandatory carded play and pre-commitment apply to all poker machines at the casino.
The VGCCC said that from December 2023, when mandatory carded play and pre-commitment was introduced in the state, through to July 2025, at least 22 customers were able to gamble beyond their limits.
Another 10 players used accounts that were not in their legal names to access poker machines between December 2023 and August 2024.
The regulator noted that the operator fully cooperated with the VGCCC’s investigation and the evidence found during the investigation showed these breaches were isolated incidents.
The VGCCC also considered that Crown has taken remedial actions to rectify the issues, which include additional monitoring and staff training.
“Poker machines are a high-risk, high-harm product, which is why we place so much emphasis on holding industry to account when they fail to honour their legal and social licenses to protect customers from gambling harm,” said VGCCC chair Chris O’Neill.
“Pre-commitment programs empower people to manage their gambling by making decisions, before they start gambling, about the amount of time and money they will spend.
“Research has shown that well-designed pre-commitment systems with binding limits can be effective in preventing harm from poker machine use. It is imperative, therefore, from both a legal and ethical perspective, that the casino is vigilant about meeting its pre-commitment obligations.
“This reprimand is now on Crown’s record, and we will not hesitate to take more serious disciplinary action in the future, should similar or further breaches occur.”