Thursday, 16 October 2025

 Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:36): (1084) My question is for the minister for gaming. Minister, you recently watered down your own trial for carded play across Victoria by removing the existing government commitment to have preset loss limits as a mandatory element of the trial. Many councils are publicly commenting now about how disappointed and let down they are given their communities are at the coalface of gambling harm. Minister, which councils did you consult with about your decision to remove the setting of loss limits as a mandatory element of this trial?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:37): I thank Ms Copsey for her question and interest, but I do believe she has mischaracterised the trial that is taking place. It is an important trial that builds on the leading reforms of our government in terms of tackling gambling harm, and it builds on the fact that we have already implemented mandatory closure times, slowed down spin rates and are now implementing load-up limits on gaming machines. This trial is a very important piece of that work as we are the only jurisdiction in the nation to have a carded trial of this nature. That is important; it is about giving control back to Victorians. The reason why I say ‘mischaracterisation’ is because it was always intended that this trial would be about mandatory carded play. That is what is taking place across the three LGAs. I do want to thank them. That is Dandenong city council – very familiar to Mr Tarlamis in this chamber; they have been very strong – and Monash and Ballarat councils. They have been very passionate about the advocacy about gambling harm more broadly and especially the harm caused by pokie machines and electronic gaming. This reform has been led and there has been broad consultation by the department in relation to this. I understand a lot was done at a peak body level consultation with the Alliance for Gambling Reform and the MAV. In terms of the trial itself, it is run by the department and the 43 venues that are participating. They are the primary participants in terms of making sure the trial works. I thank the local councils for their advocacy, and I look forward to engaging with them.

 Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:38): Minister, no doubt the councils would have preferred that you engaged with them prior to changing the scope of the trial, which is what a number of them have been very vocal about now, including the City of Monash, which you just named. I think I will take that as an admission that you did not consult with councils prior to changing the scope of the trial. Minister, did gambling industry interests advocate to you that elements of this trial be removed?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:39): In terms of the participants and the venue operators, I understand that they were engaged by the department about the settings for the trial, so all 43 venues and their representative bodies were engaged at a departmental level for input into making sure the trial is as successful as possible. So far – we are still midway through the trial, so it is still too early to make a robust evaluation – I understand that the trial is going well. Department of justice staff have been in place to help the venues to make sure the trial works so that patrons are informed and can engage and so that we can get a robust evaluation at the end of this process.