Gambling harm
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:28): (1499) My question is to the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation. Minister, the latest figures show that Victorians lost a record $3.318 billion on poker machines in 2025–26, an increase of $173 million in just one year. Minister, with gambling losses continuing to climb to record levels, it seems that across your tenure as minister the main outcome you have achieved is not to reduce gambling harm but to preside over a regime that is delivering record profits to gambling companies and inflicting record amounts of gambling harm. Given the rise in losses, what additional action will your government be taking to reduce the amount being lost by Victorians to poker machines?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Finance, Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Government Services) (12:28): I reject the premise of Ms Copsey’s question. As the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, I am proud of my record in taking tough action on gambling harm reduction. No state has done more to reduce gambling harm than the Carroll Labor government: we have lowered spin rates on pokie machines, we have brought load-up limits from $1000 down to $100 and we have implemented closures from 4 am to 10 am across the state. No state has taken more action on gambling harm than the Carroll Labor government, and we will always do more if needed. In terms of our government, we have made record changes. We have made sure that these reforms go across the board in terms of their impact, and we will continue to do more, as I have stated. What I will say is that we have strengthened protections, we have introduced evidence-based warnings like ‘Chances are you’re about to lose’, we have fully implemented the national consumer protection framework for online wagering and we have banned static betting ads near schools, roads and public transport. We will continue to monitor the sector closely to keep Victoria’s framework strong, fair and fit for purpose.
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:29): Minister, when your government announced reforms in 2023 you told Parliament that the trial of universal carded play would be rolled out to every poker machine in Victoria by the end of 2025. In May last year you conceded that that timetable had slipped. The eventual trial ran from September to November 2025, and now, nearly a year later, I still have not seen the results from that and Victorians still have no date for statewide implementation. Minister, when will you release the trial results and when will universal carded play finally be rolled out across Victoria, or is this just another broken Labor promise?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Finance, Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Government Services) (12:30): As I stated in my answer to the substantive, no government in the nation has done more to tackle gambling harm than the Carroll Labor government. We are the only state that has already implemented a statewide precommitment system on electronic gaming machines, and we are leading the nation when it comes to these reforms at our casino, which has already implemented carded play on electronic gaming machines. These reforms are about giving control back to Victorians so they can now determine how much time they want to spend and they can minimise their losses. A lot has been achieved already in this term of government. We did have a trial at 43 venues across our state, which has concluded. We want these reforms to stand the test of time. That is why we are closely observing the findings of that trial, and we will have more to say.