Time and loss limits now in place at Crown Casino

In an Australian-first, every person who uses a gaming machine at Melbourne’s Crown Casino will be required to use the Victorian state-wide YourPlay system to set both time and money loss limits.

The new rule comes into effect today (Thursday 14 December) and was welcomed by Victoria’s Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Melissa Horne, who said it will give casino patrons more control over their gambling and will help to reduce gambling harm.

“We are delivering nation-leading reforms to protect the most vulnerable from gambling harm and putting the power back into the hands of patrons,” Minister Horne said.

Under the changes if someone reaches their set limit they will not be able to use a gaming machine at the casino for either a 24-hour or seven-day period, depending on what they have chosen.

The Government said this builds on previous changes at Crown, that require the casino to enforce 15-minute breaks for patrons gambling continuously for three hours. People must take a day’s break if they’ve been gambling for 12 hours in any 24-hour period at the casino and they can only gamble for a total of 36 hours in a week.

Crown Casino will also be required to check the identity of patrons when they sign up for a card which will help prevent money laundering.

To further prevent money laundering, cash winnings will also be capped with people only able to collect a maximum of $1000. Any winnings greater than this will only be payable by an electronic transfer or a cheque and will require identification to be provided.

Minister Horne said: “Those who think they can get away with criminal activity like money laundering are wrong – these changes are about tracking, stopping and prosecuting this illegal activity.”

Mandatory carded play will be implemented across all table games at the casino by December 2025.

These changes are part of the government’s landmark gambling reforms to address harm on electronic gaming machines in all Victorian venues and deliver on key recommendations from the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence — all 33 of which have now either been delivered or legislated.