Crown Melbourne Censured for Breaches of Mandatory Pre-Commitment System

• Crown Melbourne has received a formal censure from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) for multiple breaches of its responsible gambling obligations.
• The failures related to the state’s mandatory YourPlay pre-commitment system, with Crown allowing some customers to play on electronic gaming machines past their set limits.
• The investigation also found instances of customers gambling using player cards that were not registered in their own name.
• The VGCCC opted for a formal reprimand instead of a financial penalty, citing Crown’s cooperation with the investigation and evidence that the breaches were isolated.
• The regulator issued a stern warning that more serious action could be taken for any future failures, emphasising the importance of the pre-commitment system.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has issued a formal reprimand to Crown Melbourne after an investigation uncovered multiple failures related to the state’s flagship player protection system.

The breaches concerned Victoria’s mandatory carded play and pre-commitment scheme, known as YourPlay. The system, which was introduced at the casino in December 2023, requires all players on electronic gaming machines (pokies) to use a registered card and set binding limits on the time or money they intend to spend before playing.

The VGCCC investigation found that Crown had allowed 22 customers to continue gambling after they had already reached their nominated time or spending limits. In a separate set of breaches, the regulator found a further 10 customers had been permitted to gamble using a YourPlay account card that was not registered in their name.

A Censure, Not a Fine: The Regulator’s Rationale

In a notable decision, the VGCCC elected to issue a formal censure rather than a financial penalty. The regulator explained that its decision was based on several factors, including:

• Crown’s full cooperation with the investigation.
• Evidence suggesting that the breaches were isolated incidents rather than systemic failures.
• Proactive remedial efforts already undertaken by Crown to address the issue, such as implementing additional monitoring and staff training.

However, the regulator was clear that the reprimand is a formal sanction that will remain on Crown’s record.

‘Poker Machines are a High-Risk, High-Harm Product’

VGCCC Chair Chris O’Neills issued a strong statement alongside the decision, emphasising the critical importance of the pre-commitment system. “Poker machines are a high-risk, high-harm product,” he said. “This is why we place so much emphasis on holding the industry to account when they fail to honour their legal and social licences to protect customers from gambling harm.”

O’Neills stressed that well-designed pre-commitment systems are effective tools for harm prevention and that it is “imperative, therefore, from both a legal and ethical perspective, that the casino is vigilant about meeting its pre-commitment obligations.” He warned that “more serious disciplinary action” could be taken should similar breaches occur in the future.

This action is the latest in a long series of enforcement measures taken against Crown by various Australian state and federal regulators as the company continues its extensive remediation program to prove its suitability to operate.