Gambling in Australia: Pokies Machines Will Close Six Hours a Day in Victoria

While gambling is considered a culture in Australia, the country has strict betting laws, with Victoria leading the charge.

In July 2023, Premier Daniel Andrews announced new gambling measures on the state's 27,372 pokies machines. The crackdown, which is supposed to come into effect mid-this year, will force all gaming machines to close for six hours, between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m.

The crackdown, which has tough gambling and anti-money laundering measures, spared 2628 pokies machines at Crown Casino.

This is a fair deal. In 2021, the government introduced mandatory pre-commitment rules for all gaming machines at Crown Casino.

The Andrews’ reforms seek to introduce a load limit mechanism. This will force all Victoria slot machine players to sign a mandatory pre-commitment loss limit using their cards.

The load limit will cut the maximum slot machine wager amount from $1000 to $100. The changes also aim to lower pokies machines' spin rate from 2.1 seconds to three seconds.

However, some industry stakeholders are worried about the carded play. They argued that if the framework is a thoughtful model, it should ensure a responsible and sustainable industry.

Otherwise, it will ruin licensed gambling venues, pushing punters to the online gambling landscape. That's a valid concern because Aussies can easily access online casino reviews that list only reputable, legal, and licensed casinos for safe and secure gaming.

The gaming machines closing times will be adjusted to counter the staggering long opening hours. All pokies in pubs, clubs, and hotels (except those at Crown Casino) will shut down between 4 am and 10 am. The move aims to promote responsible gambling by preventing patrons from moving from one gambling venue to another.

The crackdown comes after a series of warnings about the potential harm of pokies machines. In 2022-23, Victorians lost approximately $7.5 billion to pokies machines and other forms of online gambling.

A SW Accountants and Advisors report indicates that, in the past 20 years, gambling losses in Victoria increased by over $730 million. The same reports found that gambling losses in Victoria were on the decline due to inflation. The City of Brimbank had the highest losses on pokies machines.

“My pokies addiction landed me in jail at age 64,” a story by Carolyn Crawford, tells more about the harm pokies machines can cause. In 2018, she was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months in jail for stealing over $400,000 from her employer to play pokies.

Between 2013 and 2016, the Coroners Court of Victoria reported 99 gambling-related suicides. Most of the victims were from social and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Despite this looming shutdown, tax revenue from e-gaming machines in Victoria is predicted to reach an all-time high ($1.4B) between 2024 and 2025.

Charles Livingstone, a gambling expert and an associate professor at Monash University, argues that inflation and population increase will drive the projected high tax revenue in 2024-2025.

According to the state's budget projections, the results of the new gambling measures will become evident between 2025 and 2028. Gambling losses are expected to fall by approximately 15% within this period.

In 2025-26, tax revenue from pokie machines is forecasted to drop by over $100 million. That shows how much Aussies gamble away.

The reforms, if implemented, will be a practical not magical harm reduction and public health milestone. This will relieve the government of the billions of dollars it spends on mental health and related services each year. 

But there's a disturbing concern. Annette Kimmitt, the CEO of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, confirmed that they were yet to be briefed on when implementation of the new guidelines would start.

Charles Livingstone also affirmed that gambling industry stakeholders were still waiting for the broader framework and timeline of the crackdown. He called for the local government to hold a constructive meeting with the gambling industry stakeholders.

The Australian Hotels Association Victorian is waiting for the release of the full framework and implementation timeline to conduct an evidence-based review of the new changes.

Danny O'Brien, a critic of the electronic gaming machines crackdown, said the government should produce enough evidence that the changes will help the most vulnerable patrons.

Danny is acting in good faith to ensure the new guidelines don't harm the hospitality industry, which would result in significant job losses.

The mandatory pokie machines six hours a day closure will ensure people take a break from gambling.

The largest pokie machine operator in Australia, The Endeavour Group, has already embraced the changes. The operator closes its gaming machines from 4 am to 10 am. 

Tim Read from the Victorian Greens supports Andrew's reviews. While welcoming the proposed changes, Tim called for more strict changes. He proposes $1 as the maximum bet per pokie round and wants pokies machines closed for longer hours.

Until now, the Victorian government has not issued full details and the timeline for implementing the 'toughest' gambling and anti-money laundering measures in Australia.