Crown Melbourne Wins Delay on Mandatory Carded Play

The Victorian government has granted Crown Melbourne an additional two years to implement mandatory carded play across its table games, moving the deadline from December 2025 to December 2027. The extension, outlined in legislation introduced by Police Minister Anthony Carbines, has triggered renewed debate about the state’s commitment to gambling reform and anti-money laundering measures.

Extended Timeline and Government’s Justification

Mandatory carded play, one of the key recommendations from the 2021 Royal Commission, is designed to replace cash transactions with traceable, account-based play to prevent the use of illicit funds and allow players to set personal limits on losses and playing time. While the system has been operational across Crown’s slot machines since late 2023 — and is set to extend to electronic table games soon — the integration for traditional tables has proven more complex.

Government officials have defended the delay, explaining that the necessary technology is still in development and that enforcing the original timeline could have resulted in significant job losses. Internal warnings from Crown indicated that as many as 1,200 employees might have been retrenched and sections of the gaming floor closed if the 2025 deadline had been enforced.

Despite the government’s rationale, gambling reform advocates and several Labor MPs have voiced strong objections. As The Sunday Morning Herald reports, Tim Costello, spokesperson for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, criticized the move, stating, “The royal commission found they shouldn’t retain a licence unless they do these things. It is all too cosy with an ex-minister chairing the Crown board and Labor seeming to look after their mates.”

This internal tension within the Labor Party has been compounded by Crown’s recent interactions with senior officials, with discussions over the extended deadline reportedly beginning even before Martin Pakula, a former Labor minister, was appointed as Crown Melbourne’s chair. The extension has also drawn attention in parliament, where Opposition Leader Brad Battin has indicated that the Coalition has yet to decide whether to support the proposed legislation.

Crown’s Current Progress and Challenges

Crown maintains that it remains committed to advancing responsible gambling practices, highlighting that it was the first casino globally to enforce carded play alongside preset loss and time limits on all poker machines. A Crown spokesperson emphasized, “Crown is leading the way with responsible gambling measures.”

The Royal Commission, however, had uncovered extensive misconduct in 2021, citing issues such as underpayment of taxes, facilitating breaches of Chinese currency laws, and harmful practices targeting vulnerable gamblers. These findings led to a conditional retention of Crown’s license, prompting sweeping reforms within the organization. Crown regained its Melbourne license in March 2024 after the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission confirmed significant progress in addressing its failings.

The controversy over the extended deadline has also reignited concerns about the state’s broader gambling reform agenda. In Melbourne and Ballarat, a trial of carded play across pubs and clubs is set to launch next month. However, the absence of mandatory loss limits in the trial has led to the Alliance for Gambling Reform and the City of Monash withdrawing their support, arguing that the pilot falls short of offering meaningful player protection.

Crown has also raised concerns that stricter measures applied exclusively within its venue — but not across pubs and clubs — are putting it at a competitive disadvantage. The casino has warned privately that implementing the reforms without adequate preparation could damage its business operations, compounding ongoing economic pressures.