All states and territories have a range of mechanisms in place to support players to gamble within their monetary limits.
Access to credit
All States and Territories prohibit gambling operators from offering credit to a patron for the purposes of gambling. In addition, some jurisdictions have a ban on cash advances from credit cards through ATM facilities in their venues.
Cashing of cheques
Jurisdictions have a number of restrictions on the cashing of cheques in gambling venues. For example, in NSW gaming venues cannot exchange a cheque for cash unless the cheque is made payable to the venue. A restriction of one transaction per day for no more than $400 is in place. These provisions also stop a third party cheque being endorsed by payee to gaming venue.
Restricted access to ATMs and EFTPOS
ATMs and EFTPOS facilities are not permitted in gaming areas of pubs, clubs and casinos across Australia.
Tasmania is the only state that currently prohibits ATMs in hotels and club gambling venues, however Victoria has enacted legislation to take effect from 1 July 2012 that will also remove ATMs from gambling venues.
Limits on withdrawals from ATMs
The Northern Territory, Victoria and South Australia have limited the amount of cash that can be withdrawn from ATMs at gambling venues to $200 per transaction per card.
In addition to Tasmanian hotels and clubs, Tasmania is exploring potential options for a new mandatory code of practice to be established by the Gaming Commission to limit EFTPOS transactions to one transaction for gaming per day in the two casinos. This follows legislative amendments in 2009, expanding the Gaming Commission’s power to extend the current restriction.
In Victoria, ATMs are prohibited in gaming venues, or within 50 metres of an entrance to the gaming area of the Melbourne casino, unless withdrawals are limited to $400 per card per 24 hour period. The same restriction applies to ATMs within 40 metres of the casino gaming area in WA.
Certain winnings to be paid by cheque
In all states and territories there is some provision for paying certain gaming winnings by cheque. In the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales it is mandatory that electronic gaming machine winnings over $1,200 and $2,000 respectively be paid by cheque. In NSW winnings can also be made by means of electronic transfer of funds to an account nominated by the prize winner. In the Northern Territory and Queensland winnings over a certain amount must be paid by cheque; the amounts vary from $250 to $2,000.
In Tasmania, the prohibition of cashing of winning cheques on the day they are won is now in place. Options for a new mandatory code to be established by the Gaming Commission in relation to limiting the cash payout from gaming machines and keno to $1,000 (above this amount is to be paid by cheque) are also being explored.
In Victoria, accumulated credits from gaming machines of $1,000 or more must be paid by cheque. Accumulated credits under $1,000 must be paid by cheque if requested by the patron.
Cashless / card-based gaming
Clubs, hotels and the casino in New South Wales have approved ticket-in, ticket-out technology whilst clubs and hotels in the Australian Capital Territory have been approved for ticket-out only.
Queensland has conducted three trials of pre-commitment card-based gaming systems with approval for a voluntary roll-out of the systems. To date pre-commitment card-based gaming is operational across 47 gambling venues in Queensland with two of these sites approved for full cashless card-based gaming. The other venues are using a combination of cash and card play.
Queensland’s card-based gaming trials also feature pre-commitment tools that allow users to set loss, expenditure and time limits.
Pre-commitment Tools
South Australia is implementing trials of systems that allow patrons to set monetary and time limits on their gambling. These systems track player behaviour to notify the patron, and potentially the venue, if limits are exceeded. They can also provide a record of gambling behaviour to the patron and, with consent, to gambling help services. This work is in its early development stages, but it offers direct support to patrons who want to better manage their gambling expenditure.
New South Wales has provision for pre-commitment on loss limits on cashless / card-based gambling only.
In Victoria all next generation gaming machines will have to have a pre-commitment mechanism that allows a player to pre-set time and loss limits from 2010. Victoria will mandate pre-commitment mechanisms on all gaming machines from 2013 and a more stringent pre-commitment regime will be rolled out in 2015-1016.
Tasmania provides for pre-commitment for internet-based gambling operators, such as Betfair.