Thursday, 16 October 2025

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (15:46): I rise to speak on the Casino and Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. From the outset I want to make it very clear that the Liberals and Nationals will not be opposing this bill. There are sound reasons for that position, which I will outline throughout the speech. This is an important piece of legislation with significant implications for Victoria’s gambling sector, our economy and the many Victorians employed within it. To begin with, it is important to acknowledge the background and context that has actually brought us to this point. The history of Crown Casino is well known to most Victorians, and Crown has become an institution of Melbourne. It is Victoria’s largest single private employer. Crown Casino has made a substantial contribution to our state’s economy. Tens of thousands of Victorians depend on it for their livelihoods, whether they work directly within the casino itself or indirectly through associated industries such as hospitality, tourism, construction and security. Crown is far more than a casino in the narrow sense of the word. It is an entertainment complex that includes world-class dining, accommodation, retail and live events. It is a destination for both local residents and visitors from interstate and overseas. For many people it represents Melbourne’s entertainment heartbeat. Of course gambling forms part of its operation, but it is only one element of a much larger ecosystem that sustains thousands of jobs and attracts millions of visitors to our state each year.

That said, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the serious failings that led to the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence. Crown’s misconduct was well documented and rightly condemned. There are no excuses for what occurred, and the penalties imposed were entirely justified. The royal commission uncovered behaviour that fell short of community expectations, and it was appropriate that strong regulatory reform followed. The important point today, however, is that Crown accepted those findings, has not appealed them and is actively working to comply with all recommendations that have been handed down.

The bill is not about undoing or weakening those recommendations. It is about ensuring Crown can properly and effectively meet its compliance obligations without causing unnecessary economic harm or job losses. The central purpose of this bill is relatively straightforward. It seeks to extend the timeframe for Crown to implement certain reforms required by the royal commission, particularly those related to mandatory carded play and cashless gaming systems. The original timeline proved to be a bit too ambitious given the current technological constraints. The hardware and software required for full implementation are highly specialised, and the process of installing, testing and certifying new gaming tables and chips has proven a lot slower than anticipated or than anyone would have liked.

While electronic gaming machines already operate under mandatory carded play, traditional tables and games such as blackjack and roulette require entirely new infrastructure. These games rely on live dealers and physical chips, and integrating them into a cashless system requires tables to be equipped with card readers and new chip-tracking technology. At present the technology capable of supporting that system is actually still being rolled out, and Crown could not possibly achieve the full compliance required without it. This is the key reason why the government, through its bill, is proposing an extension from 1 December 2025 to 1 December 2027. Crown is not seeking to evade its obligations – it is very up-front about its obligations – nor is this any sort of attempt to delay reform indefinitely. It is a practical extension to allow the company to meet its obligations properly, using the right technology, with adequate testing and staff training.

Let us consider the alternatives if this extension were not granted. Crown could theoretically close down its traditional gaming tables, which would be disastrous. Doing so would cost an estimated 1000 jobs at a time when Victorians are already grappling with Labor’s cost of living crisis, and when businesses across the state are struggling to keep staff employed this would be an absolutely disastrous outcome. I say to anyone in the chamber who might be considering opposing this bill for moral or ethical reasons: have some empathy for those 1000 staff who would lose their jobs. I say to those people who might be considering opposing this legislation because it has got something to do with gambling: we all support gambling harm prevention. I have spoken in this chamber countless times about the need for real reform when it comes to gambling harm and have made lots of suggestions to the government on ways that it could do better and expand reforms that it is currently doing. But this is not about that. There are other times for moral and ethical arguments about gambling and gambling harm. This is not one of them, because what people would be doing by voting against this bill is putting 1000 people out of work here in this state. No government, no opposition, no responsible parliamentarian should welcome the loss of 1000 jobs right before Christmas, especially in Victoria’s largest private workplace. I hope that anyone considering voting against this bill considers the dignity of those 1000 people who would lose their jobs before Christmas if this bill is not passed.

The other option would be for Crown to take a chance, and that is to get their croupiers and their dealers to make sure they get all the details from people that actually play at a blackjack table or roulette table, which is of course very risky. There is always a chance of human error, and that is a $100 million fine. I do not think there are too many businesses in Victoria that would be able to face that. That is why Crown, not in a threatening manner, have just said this is what they have to do if they cannot get the extension due to the technology shortfalls at the moment. I am not saying it is not there, it is just not being rolled out in a timely way. The trial needs to take place, and that is what the extra two years is all about.

It is also important to understand that there is currently only one global manufacturer capable of producing the specific smart tables required for this system, and supply chain constraints have added further delay. This is not a case of Crown dragging its feet, it is a logistical issue compounded by post-pandemic manufacturing bottlenecks. As I said before, they have committed to royal commission recommendations, accepted the wrongs they have done in the past and have actually come a long way in implementing recommendations of the royal commission. You can literally track the progress they are making along that journey, and I think that needs to be commended. You can clearly see – any common person, any normal person looking at the evidence can clearly see – the steps they have made and can clearly also see the reason for this extension as well.

The extension also ensures that Melbourne’s entertainment precinct remains vibrant and economically strong during the summer months and the upcoming major events season. Crown plays a central role in Victoria’s tourism offering, whether it is the Australian Open, the Formula One Grand Prix, the AFL Grand Final, the Melbourne Cup Carnival – which I am looking forward to; it is coming up – and thousands of visitors attend Crown every day. The casino’s restaurants, hotels and venues attract international guests and generate valuable tourist spending. Keeping the engine running benefits not only Crown’s employees but also small businesses across our city. You only have to look at the vibrancy of small businesses in and around Southbank to see the multiplier effect that Crown has on our city.

The royal commission also required the development of what is known as the Melbourne transformation plan, which began in December 2023. This plan is a comprehensive, multi-year reform and redevelopment strategy, mandated by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission. Its aim is to redesign Crown Melbourne into a safer, more transparent and globally competitive entertainment destination. Under the plan, Crown must enhance player safety, implement strong compliance frameworks and ensure all operations are ethical, lawful and culturally responsible. There are improved training programs for staff, regular audits and a requirement for quarterly progress reports to the VGCCC. These reports are publicly available every six months to ensure transparency.

Crown has already made major strides in transforming its culture and operations. It has implemented mandatory carded play across all electronic gaming machines, including strict spending and time limits, and removed continuous play features. Patrons must take mandatory breaks 15 minutes after 3 hours of play, and 2 hours after 12 hours of play. Cash transactions are now limited to $1000 per 24-hour period. These are significant harm minimisation measures that go well beyond what existed only a few years ago.

Beyond compliance, Crown has also heavily invested in redeveloping its entertainment offering. The closure of Rosetta and the opening of the Henley in 2024 marked a shift towards showcasing local produce and creating a more relaxed, community-friendly atmosphere. The plans are well underway to revitalise the Southbank precinct, with upgraded river walks, new dining spaces and a more open, engaging public environment. Crown’s ambition is to rebrand itself not merely as a gambling venue but as a comprehensive entertainment and hospitality destination comparable to global leaders like Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

From a technological perspective, Crown has invested $52 million in IT upgrades across its Melbourne, Sydney and Perth operations. These include new HR systems, rostering tools and digital payment infrastructure. It has also committed $40 million to acquiring smart table technology to deliver the new carded play systems. The process of replacing chips and installing card readers and training those staff is well underway. Clause 1 of the bill sets out its main purposes. It amends the Casino Control Act 1991 in relation to corporate associates, disciplinary action, player activity statements, cashless gaming and carded play. It also amends the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 to update club gaming machine entitlements and make minor technical changes. Clause 3 includes new definitions of ‘corporate associate’, ‘fully automated table game’ versus ‘semi-automated table game’ and ‘traditional table game’. These definitions help us understand the new dawn of Crown gambling, which helps to reduce money laundering. Clause 4 explains the difference between associates and corporate associates and the rules around 5 per cent more interest in the casino operator. I might skip going through all the clauses.

As I was saying, it is quite the process to go from physical chips to carded play and digitising the entire process of those gaming tables. There are still more technologies rolling out as we speak. That is why the extension is required. As I mentioned, there is only one global manufacturer in the world with the ability to do what Crown is aiming to do. Of course we had this thing called a pandemic, and that caused a global supply chain shock, which meant that the timing was just not going to work.

Crown are actively working with providers. There are also challenges associated with securing delivery of the necessary hardware and the provider’s limited output capability, because there is only one manufacturer who can do this job. There is a lot of pressure to try to get hands on these tables and comply with the royal commission. This is a world first, so it is important that we get it right. The technology is available for baccarat. I know Crown intends to begin a phased transition to full compliance across the casino by 1 December 2027. That is what this bill is seeking.

I might skip a few things for the chamber’s benefit. As I mentioned earlier, there are a number of measures that Crown has contributed to harm minimisation. Its rollout of carded play across its poker machines has been going rather well. Each of these measures contributes to harm minimisation. Gambling harm is not confined to the individual gambler. It ripples through families, workplaces and communities. By giving players the tools to set limits and track their spending, the system provides a safeguard that protects not just the individual but their loved ones as well.

Some commentators, a bit bizarrely, have suggested that extending the deadline could increase the risk of money laundering. I believe that argument misunderstands the intent of this legislation. The reforms are not being watered down. They are being implemented more carefully to ensure that they function as intended. Rushing through technology that is not yet proven would create loopholes, not close them. The extension allows for a smoother, more secure rollout and would ultimately strengthen regulatory compliance.

The Casino Gambling and Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 is a sensible, necessary and measured response to the realities of the technological implementation. It maintains the integrity of the royal commission’s recommendations while recognising the practical challenges of introducing what are world-first systems in a highly complex environment. The Liberals and Nationals will not oppose this bill, because we think it strikes the right balance between enforcing accountability, protecting jobs, supporting harm minimisation and ensuring that Melbourne’s entertainment hub remains vibrant and compliant. This is about responsibility, not leniency. It is about doing things properly and not cutting corners. Again, I say for anyone thinking about opposing this bill, the consequences of 1000 jobs being lost just before Christmas this year are very difficult to contemplate. I think it is up to those that want to oppose this to explain their actions and why they would want to see those 1000 jobs go.

I want to thank my colleague Tim McCurdy in the other place for his engagement on this issue. I want to thank the government for their briefing of the opposition on this issue, and Crown itself as well. We support the continuation of reform at Crown Casino, we support the work of the VGCCC in holding the operator to account and we support the thousands of Victorians whose jobs depend on a stable and well-regulated entertainment sector. For these reasons we will not be opposing this bill.

 Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (16:06): I rise to speak on the Casino and Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. Victorians expect this Parliament to put the interests of the community ahead of those of the gambling industry. They expect the government to protect families from harm, not to postpone the hard-won protections that the government has already promised. This bill does contain some modest good steps. It strengthens the power of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, which is the regulator, against Crown and its related companies, including new powers to discipline corporate associates. The bill creates a new category called ‘corporate associate’, for example, a holding company, and if one of these companies fails to cooperate with the regulator, does not provide required information or is found unsuitable, the VGCCC can issue a censure letter or a fine of up to $1 million. The bill also lifts penalties so that the regulator, which can already fine Crown up to $100 million, is able to impose an additional $1 million per day if Crown ignores directions tied to its Melbourne transformation plan. Those changes are a response to the royal commission era and the long list of breaches that led to Crown’s $450 million AUSTRAC penalty.

The Greens support stronger enforcement and clearer lines of accountability, but this very same bill delays life-saving harm reduction measures by delaying the implementation of royal commission recommendations against money laundering, which we know fuels organised crime cartels, and it pushes back the start date for key cashless controls, from limits on cash accepted on the floor to identity verification and paying larger wins electronically, from 1 December 2025 to 1 December 2027. It also defers the application of the carded play division at the casino to 2027, even as it technically clarifies that carded play is required across table games.

In plain terms, the bill slows the rollout of the very tools – cashless gaming and mandatory player cards – that help people set limits, curb money laundering and stop losses from spiralling. It is a huge step backwards. Let us remember why carded play matters. When people (1) must use a card and (2) crucially, must set a precommitment limit and (3) must verify who they are and receive large payments electronically rather than in cash, the data will then show who is playing, how much and whether interventions are needed to reduce gambling harm and avoid money laundering. Experts have been clear for years: precommitment and design changes outperform posters and pamphlets. They are the measures that actually reduce harm. Technical rollout issues should be solvable. Jurisdictions already run precommitment systems, and the only real question is whether we have the political will to switch it on now, not in two years.

We really should be honest in this chamber about the scale of the problem. Victorians lose billions of dollars to poker machines every year, with the heaviest losses in lower income suburbs, and Labor MPs have called out the severity of this moral issue in their own caucus. Meanwhile our budgets in this state continue to count on gambling taxes over the forward estimates, and we see that Australians are once again the largest per capita losers for gambling losses in the world. This is precisely why delayed protections are so dangerous. The longer we wait, the more people continue to be harmed and the more reliant this budget becomes on that harm.

Stakeholders have been vocal in response to this bill. The Alliance for Gambling Reform and their chief advocate Tim Costello have condemned these delays, saying we cannot keep postponing reforms that prevent addiction and save families from financial ruin. They are absolutely right. We heard the same message when the government missed earlier milestones and then delayed and watered down the statewide carded play trial. The pattern, unfortunately, from that glossy and exciting media release in 2023 has been delay, consultation with industry interests and more delay while losses keep mounting.

At its core, carded play and cash rules are not just about harm minimisation, though. They are also part of frontline controls against money laundering. This bill pushes back two pillars of that control at the casino until 1 December 2027 – the $1000 per day cash acceptance cap and the rule that winnings or credits over $1000 must be paid electronically and only after ID is verified. Those two levers make it much harder to wash cash via rapid buy-in and cash-out methods or to cycle illicit money through machines and walk away with clean funds. The explanatory memorandum says that this delay is to support effective operationalisation, but a delay is still a delay, and during that time the status quo remains easier to exploit. Even the government’s own notes make clear that these settings are about phasing out large cash payouts and tightening traceability. The explanatory memorandum says that the bill expands how cashless gaming accounts can be funded, such as EFT from a patron’s own bank account:

… to support the eventual phasing out of large cash amounts at the casino.

In other words, the destination is traceable, non-cash play, but this bill moves the arrival date out by two years at precisely the moment when we had the opportunity to lock in protections against money laundering.

We do not have to guess, unfortunately, in this state, about the risks. The Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence heard direct evidence from Victoria Police that the casino’s cash heavy environment has long been attractive to criminals wanting to turn illicit notes into apparently legitimate funds. And that, unfortunately, is a situation that persists in our suburban hotels and clubs where poker machines are still available. One experienced officer from Victoria Police explained the standard method in plain terms: bring in dirty money, convert to chips, play briefly, cash out and walk to the bank with a casino cheque. They said that this basic laundering would ‘happen on a daily basis.’ This is sworn evidence in the commission’s money laundering chapter. Carded play and electronic payouts directly frustrate this old cash and carry strategy. The commission also adopted the Bergin Inquiry’s findings that Crown facilitated money laundering through its Southbank and Riverbank accounts ‘over many years’, with Crown later accepting those conclusions and acknowledging significant deficiencies in its anti-money laundering response. That history is exactly why Victoria built a transformation regime and tougher compliance settings. Putting critical cash and identity rules on ice until 2027 runs against the grain of those findings.

Beyond the casino here in Melbourne we have a national warning. The New South Wales Crime Commission concluded in 2022 that criminals funnel billions of dollars of dirty cash through poker machines in pubs and clubs, calling poker machines one of the last remaining safe havens for cleaning cash. Its top recommendation was mandatory cashless gaming with enhanced data and identification, because traceability – who played, when and how much – breaks the business model of criminal cash. This principle applies equally to the casino floor. Postponing carded play and electronic payout rules until 2027 means postponing the best practice anti-money-laundering response that Australian crime agencies themselves have urged. Anti-money-laundering is not an abstract compliance box. It is about choking off the revenue streams of organised crime, which we spend a lot of time hearing about in this place – drug trafficking, human exploitation, fraud and violence. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre’s actions and the crime commission’s findings show that the gaming sector has been a recurring target. The community expectation after the royal commission was that Victoria would take the shortest road to a traceable, ID-verified gambling environment at the casino. This bill takes us on the long road, and every extra month keeps that door ajar for criminal cash while honest patrons and the broader community bear the cost.

The Greens do support what is good in this bill. We support the stronger enforcement against Crown and its corporate associates. The corporate associate framework closes a well-known accountability gap by allowing discipline through the corporate chain, with letters of censure and fines of up to $1 million for associated companies that do not cooperate or notify changes. That helps the regulator keep pressure on associates, not just frontline licence holders. We support sharper sanctions for ignoring transformation plan directions. The added $1 million per day fine ability is the kind of lever the regulator needs to ensure reform deadlines are real and not treated as optional or the cost of doing business. We support training and supervision standards for table games and the authority to limit table occupancy. These are practical measures that improve oversight and reduce risk for staff and patrons.

But those elements are not enough for us today to support this bill in full. We frankly cannot accept the grievous and industry-friendly shortcomings of this bill, which kicks core harm-reduction measures out to 2027. The costs of waiting are borne by the same families we hear about in electorate offices: parents facing rent arrears or missed mortgage payments because a partner’s losses spiked, retirees burning through their savings and kids going without. Carded play with mandatory precommitment, mandatory limits and daily cash payout controls are not abstract reforms. They are seatbelts, and we would never vote to delay seatbelts for two years after we had come to the agreement that they saved lives.

What we say to the government is that you should have kept the strong parts of this bill and gotten rid of the delay. Crown has been given four years notice to get things in place for this change. Put the people first. Let us deliver carded play with precommitment – the reforms that our state was promised. You should have delivered them on time and given the regulator the teeth and timelines it needed to protect the community. The Greens oppose this bill in its current form.

 Ryan BATCHELOR (Southern Metropolitan) (16:17): The Casino and Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 amends the Casino Control Act 1991 to support the implementation of the Royal Commission into the Casino Operation and Licence recommendations and ensure that the regulator, the Victorian Gaming and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), has the powers it needs to hold the casino operator to account. The bill also amends the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 to improve market flexibility, making it easier for community clubs who want to step back from gaming to do so without increasing the statewide cap on pokies.

I think it is fair to say that this government is leading the nation on tackling gambling harm. We established a royal commission into Crown Melbourne, and we have accepted and are delivering on all 33 of its recommendations. We are overhauling the oversight of Victoria’s gaming industry, holding Crown accountable for their behaviour and what was unearthed by the royal commission. These reforms will strengthen scrutiny. They will ensure that the royal commission reforms can be delivered in full and for the long term. They also give the Victorian Gaming and Casino Control Commission, the VGCCC, stronger powers, ensuring that we have a watchdog with the authority to hold Crown to account.

We know that Crown is working towards delivering on its commitments under the Melbourne transformation plan, a program of improved compliance, operations, customer experience, gambling harm and investment over the coming years. To make sure those commitments are met this bill increases the penalties for noncompliance, with a direction from the regulator that will impose a penalty from a $10,000 one-off fine up to $1 million a day. This means that Crown cannot drag its feet implementing these reforms – real reform, real change.

We are also extending regulation to Crown’s corporate associates, allowing discipline of parent holding companies and third-party partners. The bill strengthens money laundering safeguards by enabling cashless funding sources, paving the way for the commencement of daily cash limits. Together, these changes to casino scrutiny will give the government watchdog greater powers to monitor Melbourne’s casino activities and ensure stronger accountability. Crown Melbourne, in figuring out how it is going to set itself up for the future and the place that it will hold both in terms of employment but also as an entertainment destination here in Melbourne, established its Melbourne transformation plan, including over 100 initiatives. It includes a program of improved compliance operations and customer experience, gambling harm minimisation and investment. To incentivise Crown Melbourne to continue its transformation and deter loss of momentum and delays, this bill ensures that noncompliance with a direction issued by the regulator that relates to this transformation plan can be met with specific and strong disciplinary action, such as additional fines for every day of noncompliance with that direction. It sits in the context of broader gambling-related reforms that this government has been implementing.

From September this year, the government rolled out its landmark gambling reforms, including a trial of mandatory account-based play in selected venues, giving players in pubs and clubs greater visibility over their gambling and empowering them to make safer choices. We need to minimise the risk to people that are vulnerable in our community, because we know that if left unchecked, destructive gambling can destroy lives. We know that many community organisations do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to tackling gambling harm, stepping in and providing support to those families who are devastated by the losses that are inflicted upon them. The bill before us today builds on and extends those reforms by making sure the next stages are implemented effectively. It makes sure that with the right technology in place gambling harm reduction reforms are delivered in full and stand the test of time. These include mandatory carded play on traditional table games, such as roulette and blackjack, and the daily cash limit across the casino floor.

On the implementation of these reforms, the government is always clear: the reforms’ implementation are dependent on their practicability. Some of these reforms are dependent on technology that needs to exist in order for them to be implemented and as yet does not, which is why we have adopted a staged implementation approach. Without using technology to deliver the harm reduction and the safety-based initiatives enforcement of any restrictions would rely on manual processing that would be prone to both error and abuse, undermining the efficacy of the reform journey, making reforms harder to deliver and ultimately putting them at risk. By updating the commencement timeline, the bill provides the time needed for the technology to be rolled out and tested and for staff and for patrons to transition in an orderly and safe way. The reforms will still be delivered in full, but they will be delivered in an appropriate timeframe. We will ensure that Crown is held to account and that Victoria continues to lead the nation in the reduction of gambling harm. Importantly, the bill retains a power for the commencement date to be brought forward if the technology is ready earlier. This is real reform that helps people and protects our community.

The bill will also be opening up further pathways for community clubs to exit gaming. We know that many community clubs for some reason in the past had in their possession poker machine and electronic gaming machine licences, and many want to get rid of them. They do not want them anymore, both in their community and in their club. The problem is that many of these community clubs cannot always find a buyer for their entitlements, so the bill will help that process by increasing the maximum entitlements a single club operator can hold, creating more flexibility in the entitlement market, making it easier for community clubs to step back from pokies. So they can still find a buyer whilst preserving a range of other benefits that the clubs provide. This style of approach has worked before in other settings. Importantly, the change does not add a single new machine. The statewide cap on the number of poker machines and the number of electronic gaming machines remains in place, and there are no changes to caps at venue or LGA levels.

As I said, this Labor government here in Victoria is leading the nation on gambling reforms, and this bill builds on Victoria’s record. No other state has gone as far as we do to keep Victorians in our community safe from harm and to keep operators accountable. We have established the strongest gaming and casino regulator in Australia, the VGCCC, and we have already delivered reforms that have reshaped gaming in pubs and clubs, such as mandatory carded play at Crown on EGMs and a statewide precommitment system, currently at a voluntary level, available on all EGMs. We have introduced our mandatory closure periods to between 4 and 10 in the morning. We have got load-up limits of $100, down from $1000, which slow losses and limit harm; slower machine rates for electronic gaming machines, reducing the amount that you can lose per hour; limiting cash withdrawals in a 24-hour period; and a statewide pokies cap for the better part of the next 20-odd years, freezing the total number of poker machines in the state.

Building on our reforms at Crown specifically, we are including mandatory registered carded play on all EGMs, binding precommitment limits on EGMs, load-up limits are being reduced, slowing the rates of play and reducing loss and we are also including things like activity statements for regular players to show how much time and money they have spent, hopefully providing a bit more visibility to those individuals so they can set the limits that they wish to have. There are also limits on hours of play and a ban on junkets.

These reforms are clear. They continue to have Victoria lead the nation in attempts to reduce harm from gambling. The reforms in this bill will benefit Victorians. They will hold Crown accountable for their transition and for their future decisions. We think they are in line with community expectations. We can minimise the harm from gambling. We do not shy away from action in this area. I commend the bill to the house.

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (16:27): I do want to take this opportunity to thank all members for their really thoughtful contributions, and especially Mr Mulholland. I think he really outlined in quite a bit of detail the significance of this legislation and its importance for the economy but also spoke about striking that right balance and interest. Also Mr Batchelor eloquently put a strong case for why these reforms build on the work our government has already done in terms of reducing gambling harm. Therefore I will be brief in my summary remarks so that we can move on.

I appreciate that not necessarily everyone in this chamber agrees, but this bill does strengthen the integrity and accountability of Victoria’s casino oversight framework. It increases penalties, tightens the rules around casino associates and supports the safe and effective rollout of mandatory carded play and a daily cash limit across the whole casino floor. These reforms deliver on our commitment to hold the casino operator to the highest standard of integrity. The bill also updates the club entitlement framework while maintaining the statewide freeze on the total number of gaming machines in our state. This change provides greater flexibility in the market, giving clubs more options to sell entitlements or, if they choose, to exit gaming altogether. It also provides an opportunity for those responsible actors to take on those licences.

I want to thank those who have engaged throughout this process, including the independent regulator and all stakeholders.

These are practical, responsible reforms that build on the Allan Labor government’s record of nation-leading action on gambling harm, from statewide shutdown hours and reduced load-up limits to stronger limits on hours of continuous play at the casino. This is about creating a safer, more transparent and accountable gaming industry for the long term. I, as minister, am committed to driving further reforms that ensure that our casino operates safely, accountably and sustainably, and on that note, I commend the bill to the house.

Motion agreed to.

Read second time.

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (16:30): I move, by leave:

That the bill be now read a third time.

Motion agreed to.

Read third time.

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Jacinta Ermacora): Pursuant to standing order 14.28, the bill will be returned to the Assembly with a message informing them that the Council have agreed to the bill without amendment.