Key Points
- Electronic gambling machines in Victoria will require mandatory pre-commitment limits and carded play.
- Load-up limits, how much money an individual can put into an EGM at a time, will be capped at $100.
- The changes are expected to be in place by the end of the year.
Carolyn Crawford was 64 when her life spiralled out of control.
She was lonely. Her marriage had broken down and her children had moved out of home.
The grandmother found solace at the local club, and eventually, she found herself stealing money from her employer to feed her gambling addiction. In total, $400,000 of it.
She went to jail - something she now says saved her life.
"I never had a parking ticket in my life," Crawford said.
"But here I am, going to prison because I stole — over seven years — $400,000 from my employer."
Crawford is now an advocate of gambling reform and says she's paid back all the money to the company.
On Sunday, she joined Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and gaming minister Melissa Horne for an announcement of a series of reforms for electronic gaming machines across the state.
Carolyn Crawford (centre) is a reformed gambler and joined Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for an announcement about sweeping gambling reforms. Credit: Supplied/Victorian Government
Crawford said that mandatory closing hours were an important part of the plan.
She said in her area there were two gaming venues - one that closed at 8am and the other opened at 8am - effectively making it possible for locals to gamble 24 hours a day.
"No one needs to be behind a machine at two or three in the morning. I've been there, I've seen what happens ... it's not pretty," she said.
"These changes just blow my mind."
What are the proposed changes?
Under the reforms, electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in Victoria will require mandatory pre-commitment limits and carded play.
Load-up limits, how much money an individual can put into an EGM at a time, will be capped at $100, down from the current limit of $1000.
The changes are expected to be in place by the end of the year.
By mid-2024, mandatory closure periods will be enforced for all gaming machine areas in a venue, excluding Melbourne's Crown Casino, between 4am and 10am.
The government will also make it mandatory for all new EGMs to spin at a rate of three seconds per game, slowing the pace of the game down and limiting the amount that can be lost.
Horne said everyone loses when it comes to gambling.
"It's not confined to money. People lose their relationships, their jobs and their wellbeing," she said.
Andrews said it was important for his government to make the changes.
"These reforms will provide the strongest gambling harm preventions and anti-money laundering measures in Australia," he said.
"We owe it to all Victorians to take this stance and help those experiencing harm turn their lives around.
"Our previous reforms have delivered stronger oversight of the gambling industry in Victoria with a regulator unafraid to hold venues to account. Now we're doing more important work to reduce gambling-related harm."
'Very significant' reform
Chief Advocate of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Reverend Tim Costello, said Victorians have waited a very long time for meaningful and significant reform.
"These reforms appear to be very significant, especially the introduction of mandatory carded play with set loss limits of no more than $100 a day," he said.
"We still need to see all of the details, but this will go a long way towards minimising gambling harm in our community as well as reducing the huge amounts of dirty money being laundered through poker machines."
NSW is also looking to crack down on gambling harm and will begin trialling cashless gaming on poker machines within months.
The government will also ban gambling-related signage from outside pubs and clubs.
It has also vowed to reduce the number of pokies in the state and impose a ban on political donations from clubs with gaming operations.
And since July 1, players are only able to put $500 cash into machines at a time, down from $5000.
