Victorian Parliament passes new pre-commitment and carded play legislation but implementation set to be delayed
The Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024 (Vic) (Bill) was recently passed by the Victorian Parliament on Tuesday 27 May 2025 with no substantive changes. Key changes proposed in the Bill were discussed in our previous article published in November 2024, when the Bill was progressing through the Legislative Assembly.
Alongside the passage of this legislation, the Victorian Government announced that the trial of the mandatory pre-commitment system known as ‘carded play’ in Victorian gaming venues that would precede the implementation of the reforms has now been postponed. The trial was initially scheduled for May- June 2025 but a new official date is yet to be announced.
What changes have been made by the Bill?
The Act implementing the Bill has introduced a legislative and regulatory framework for mandatory carded play and pre-commitment for all Victorian gaming venues operating electronic gaming machines (EGM). This means, among other things, that players will need to use a registered player card to access EGMs and will be required to set loss and time limits. These reforms are aimed at reducing gambling-related harm and deterring money laundering.
By way of summary, the key reforms include:
· the requirement for carded play in licensed gaming venues (on a date to be set);
· the establishing of slower spin rates for new EGMs (from 2.1 seconds to 3 seconds);
· player identification will be required for pay outs of $2,000 or more; and
· the empowering of the Minister to direct a loyalty scheme provider or a venue operator that offers a loyalty scheme to provide loyalty scheme information to the Minister of the VGCCC for date reconciliation with the pre-commitment system.
Importantly, the Bill also provides for the power to make regulations regarding pre-commitment and carded play. Many of the procedures and measures to be prescribed in regulations will include card issuance, limit – setting rules, exclusions, etc., which will be implemented following further consultation and pilot testing.
Why was Victoria’s trial postponed?
The Victorian Government has postponed the planned trial of the mandatory carded play system across gambling venues. The trials were originally scheduled to commence in mid-2025.
In a recent VGCCC statement, the VGCCC advised that this was to allow for the examination of nationwide best practices and the exploration of technology-neutral options to test and facilitate the scheme. In addition, the statement outlined that the postponement would enable further ministerial directions and supporting regulations to be developed with industry consultation. A date for the commencement of the trial has not been set out yet.
New South Wales’ experience
Meanwhile, the 2024 New South Wales trial of carded play was recently evaluated. The evaluation found that the trial faced substantial costs overruns, with reports indicating that venue participation and technical issues contributed to higher-than-expected expenses.
The NSW trial, conducted at a cost of $3.4 million, was challenged by low participation with only 14 people being classified as ‘genuine and active’ users (being those who engaged with the technology for at least two days). This limited engagement led to significant media criticism regarding the trial’s validity, its effectiveness in the long term, and the robustness of its findings.
Despite low participation, the Independent Panel on Gaming Reform recommended implementing a mandatory statewide account–based system by 2028. The panel argued that such a system would enhance anti-money laundering efforts and harm minimisation strategies, whilst acknowledging the small sample size made it difficult to make firm conclusions about the impact of the technology on users.
In addition to obtaining the benefit of nationwide best practice and engaging with industry, the NSW experience suggests that Victoria also needs to consider the cost and level of engagement of any future trial.
Senet will publish updated information regarding the Bill as it progresses through the legislative process. If you have any questions regarding the Bill or the conduct of EGMs more broadly, please don’t hesitate to contact the Senet team.
