Three days ago, the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party held a conference to discuss policies. During the event, Gordon Moody and Green Pen Consulting organized a panel dedicated to the white paper called “The Gambling White Paper: Implications for Treatment.”

The panel saw experts comment on the measures outlined in the paper with Jane Rigbye, Ygam’s chief executive officer, expressing her thoughts on the new levy system. According to Rigbye, the new system should see the money used for gambling education and harm prevention initiatives.

Rigbye slammed the notion that some of the recipients of the levy funding are working in cahoots with gambling operators and are not independent. The CEO called this a “misguided narrative” and said that such opinions should not affect the creation of new infrastructure and processes within the industry.

Rigbye argued that organizations seeking funding should instead be measured on the quality, scalability and impact of their services.

The Money Should Prioritize Prevention over Treatment

Speaking of how the money should be used, Rigbye pointed out that it is important that the new levy is able to recognize the difference between research, education and treatment programs. Otherwise, donors may be reluctant to provide funding before the eventual establishment of the new system.

Rigbye also pointed out that this period may see the services provided by organizations reliant on the current system disrupted or discontinued.

CEO Rigbye’s call for more clarity is currently being answered by the UKGC and DCMS, which continue to discuss the future of the white paper measures.

Rigbye also noted that prevention should be prioritized over treatment.

Ygam argues that investment would be better off made upstream, so that less people need those treatment services in the first place.

Jane Rigbye, CEO, Ygam

Ygam is one of the largest gambling research, education and treatment organizations in the United Kingdom and would be one of the key beneficiaries of industry funding if the proposed levy is introduced.

In addition to Ygam representatives, The Gambling White Paper: Implications for Treatment was also attended by many other notable individuals, including politicians and company leaders.

While the Conservative Party did its best to consider the future of the country, statistics show that British bettors do not trust the party to stay in power. According to Betfair bettors, who have previously predicted outcomes such as Liz Truss’ resignation, Rishi Sunak may lose as many as 201 seats or more during the upcoming elections.

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The Victoria casino gaming regulator, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has issued a new formal director to Crown Melbourne, which will now have to comply with several important measures.

VGCCC Introduces New Rules for Crown Melbourne

Among those are obligatory implementations of mandatory carded play, mandatory time and spend pre-commitments for players on all electronic gaming machines (EGMs). These changes must become part of the industry by December.

The recommendations and formal direction are issued as a result of an extensive Royal Commission probe into the company, which has failed to uphold key anti-money laundering standards. Moving forward, though, Crown Melbourne will have to comply with the measure for all of its EGMs.

This measure may seem somewhat overreaching, but it is not necessary so, as it might give the property an edge in the rapidly changing regulatory landscape for gambling companies in Victoria and Australia in general. Moving forward, the use of cards to let players play at EGMs may become pretty much the norm.

Crown Melbourne will have time to adapt, as well as time to implement the technology and see how it impacts its revenue – if at all. Some lobbyists, independently from Crown Melbourne, have grumbled at the prospect of asking players to have pre-set time and spending limits, but this is precisely what is happening at the casino.

To do so, patrons would have to use the YourPlay system, a state-backed technological infrastructure. YourPlay system is only introduced as a voluntary system at other venues, though, meaning that only Crown Melbourne patrons would have to comply with the measure.

Going Beyond VGCCC Recommendations to Safeguard Consumers

Crown Melbourne has not wasted time and has sent a clear message that the company intent to help bolster player protection measures on its own, going well beyond what the VGCCC has recommended.

For one, the property has confirmed that it will be introducing more measures designed to help consumers stay on the right track. The company will remove any machines that feature an “unrestricted” bet limit, spin rate, or any other feature that could lead to pathological gambling behavior.

“We have again demonstrated our strong commitment to minimizing gambling harm and reducing the risk of money laundering by going above and beyond Royal Commission recommendations in our direction to Crown,” said VGCCC chairperson Fran Thorn commenting on the latest direction issued to Crown Melbourne, assuring that its careful implementation would be carefully monitored.

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The Victorian government has joined Western Australia in its efforts to minimize gambling harm at the troubled Crown Casino. The Royal Commission recently recommended betting and time limits for Crown Perth in Western Australia, and authorities in Victoria have already mandated similar measures for the operator’s Melbourne branch. Patrons must take mandatory breaks every few hours and face daily and weekly limits.

Daily and Weekly Limits Will Encourage Safer Gambling

The ongoing controversy surrounding The Crown has kickstarted some long-overdue regulatory reforms. The 2021 Royal Commission investigation revealed systemic regulatory violations, tax evasion, severe money laundering, and ties to criminal organizations. The operator’s Australian properties have since felt the ire of the local regulators, paying hundreds of millions in fines and facing ongoing restrictions until they fall back into compliance.

Crown Melbourne now operates under the watchful eye of the Victorian government, which oversees the ongoing reforms. The newest updates aim to combat the rising problem of gambling rates by introducing mandatory breaks and time limits. Patrons will take a non-optional 15-minute break for every three continuous hours of play and a 24-hour break if they have gambled for over 12 hours daily.

Victoria authorities hope that such forced breaks, combined with a 36-hour weekly limit, will help dissuade patrons from overspending. The region’s Casino and Gaming minister Melissa Horne hoped the measures would lay the foundations for a safer gaming environment. A September 2022 legislation also introduced a cash cap of $1000 per 24 hours.

The Royal Commission (evidence) showed incredibly predatory behavior on people… struggling on the casino floor and in the pokie machine rooms in particular.

Melissa Horne, Victoria Casino, and Gaming minister

Anti-Gambling Advocates Find Such Measures Lacking

Despite the authorities’ good intentions, some experts remain skeptical of the practical benefits of time limits. Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO Carol Bennett noted that individuals struggling with gambling addiction would move on to bet at another venue. The proliferation of pokeys across various establishments means a machine is always nearby.

The measures put in place in Crown should also be translated into pubs and clubs because we’re otherwise just shifting the problem.

Carol Bennett, Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO

Bennett tentatively agreed that such measures were a step in the right direction and urged widespread reforms encompassing all venues offering to gamble. However, each Australian region’s high degree of autonomy makes coordination difficult, and powerful lobbying groups ceaselessly fight to maintain the status quo. Even so, attempts to bring order to Australia’s premiere gambling destination should receive recognition.

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