Victorian politicians have spent the last year tightening up gaming regulation laws to help cut back on problem gambling rates. In addition to introducing several harm minimisation measures, the state government is also asking gaming venue owners to examine their own practices to ensure that players are being looked after.

The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation has recently contacted the owners of pokie clubs, requesting that they fill out self-audit forms. These forms include a wide range of gaming regulations, and venue owners must examine their premises to ensure that they comply. An example of self-auditing includes ensuring that licensing signs are displayed correctly on the property.

According to the Herald Sun, the goal of this initiative is to help reduce the red tape that is brought about by administrative audits in the gaming sector. By providing gaming venue owners with the power to audit their own property, the gaming commission offers them more freedom and saves them more time in the long run. Self-auditing for gaming venues will not completely eliminate the need for on-site inspections.

Instead, they will reduce the amount of time required for these visits. Venue owners can seek out any potential transgressions and correct them before an auditor visits the property. This also ensures that gaming club owners are also up-to-date with gaming machine regulations.

"The Victorian self-auditing program has been developed to promote licensee awareness and understanding of legislative obligations," says John Smith, spokesperson for the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. Some residents are opposed to the new regulation scheme. Responsible gambling advocates believe that it compromises consumer protection practices.

Opposing politicians are concerned that the scheme is not in line with the state government’s high expectations for responsible gambling standards, and they believe that on-site audits are required to ensure that gaming club owners put player safety first.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.