The Victorian Greens party has called for the planned and currently discussed extension of the licenses of poker machines to be suspended while the Crown Melbourne casino is investigated by state gambling regulators over allegations for pokies rigging and money laundering.
A bill that will extend the duration of pokies’ licenses to 2042 and will limit the number of gaming machines across the state is currently under consideration in the upper house of the Victorian Parliament.
Generally speaking, the legislative piece, if adopted, will freeze the addition of more poker machines across Victoria, will limit the amounts players will be able to withdraw per day, and will curb gambling advertising in public spaces, among other things.
Anti-poker machines campaigners have also been calling for a reduction in the maximum bets accepted by poker machines to A$1 from A$5, for a ban on cashless gambling, and for a cut in the trading hours of venues hosting pokies.
Current poker machines licenses are valid through August 2022. Under the proposed bill, they will be extended for a period of 20 years. According to the Alliance for Gambling Reform, an organization lobbying for the introduction of curbs on pokies, the license extension would lock gambling revenue of A$70 billion for poker machines operators and would inflict losses of A$70 billion to gambling customers in the next 25 years.
Greens Call For Suspension
As mentioned above, members of Victoria’s Greens party called for suspension of ongoing discussions of the bill until the results from the Crown Melbourne probe are announced.
Earlier this month, Federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie presented allegations from whistleblowers that casino operator Crown Resorts had tampered with poker machines at its Melbourne casino and had allowed certain players dodge anti-money laundering regulations.
The Victorian Commission for Gaming and Liquor Regulation opened a probe into the gambling venue’s operations. The results of the investigation are hoped to be released in the next few weeks.
Victorian Greens have commented on the allegations by saying whistleblowers have presented them with disturbing information about the seriousness of the issue. According to members of the party, talks on the poker machines bill should be suspended while there is ongoing investigation.
Aside from Crown Resorts, which has denied the allegations, the state gambling regulator has also been attacked with fiery criticism for failing to spot irregularities in the operations of its licensee Crown Resorts. According to Greens MPs, the Commission should be prevented from probing itself.
Commenting on calls for the bill’s suspension, Victorian Gaming Minister Marlene Kairouz told media that the Crown allegations and ongoing investigation do not have any impact on the poker machines bill and that lawmakers are planning to implement certain curbs on the way the gaming devices are operated in the state.
