Victoria — Overview
Victoria occupies a paradoxical position in Australian gambling. It is simultaneously the state with the most ambitious gambling reform agenda and one of the highest gambling loss totals in the country. In 2024–25, Victorians lost $7.385 billion to gambling across all products — down slightly from prior years in some categories, but still generating $2.469 billion in taxes and levies for the state government. The largest single source of losses was hotel and club pokies at $3.145 billion, followed by the Crown Melbourne casino at $958 million.
What distinguishes Victoria is not the scale of its losses — which are broadly proportionate to its population — but the regulatory response. Since the 2021 Royal Commission into Crown Melbourne's conduct, Victoria has built the most interventionist gambling regulatory framework in Australia. The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), established in January 2022, has real powers, uses them, and regularly issues significant fines. Mandatory carded play — the most significant single reform in Australian EGM history — commenced in December 2025. And yet per-capita pokie spending has remained almost completely flat for over a decade, in the range of $550–$565 per adult, pointing to a persistent ceiling that policy has not yet broken through.
Gambling Losses by Product (2024–25)
The VGCCC publishes Victoria's most comprehensive gambling dataset in Australia, broken down by product, venue and LGA. The following figures are drawn from the 2024–25 full-year data.
Hotel & Club Pokies
$3.145B Tax: $1.313B (41.7%)Largest product by losses. 26,805 machines across 494 venues. Per-adult loss of ~$550 for metro Melbourne; Greater Dandenong $1,077. Mandatory carded play commenced December 2025.
Crown Melbourne Casino
$958M Tax: $176M (18.4%)Table games and 2,500 EGMs. Post-royal commission under Blackstone ownership. Carded play on EGMs since October 2023; table game carded play extended to December 2027.
Lotteries
$767M Levy: $605M (78.9%)The Lottery Corporation (formerly Tatts). Highest effective tax rate of any product. Powerball, Saturday Lotto, Oz Lotto, Keno. Online channel growing rapidly.
Sport & Race Wagering
$2.58B (2022–23) POCT 15% (from July 2024)Racing (Tabcorp TAB + fixed-odds) and sports betting. POCT increased from 10% to 15% from 1 July 2024 — highest rate nationally alongside QLD and SA.
Keno
~$288M (national) Lottery CorporationVenue-based Keno operated through pubs and clubs by The Lottery Corporation. Fast-draw product available in approximately 2,500 Victorian venues.
Total All Products
$7.385B Tax/levies: $2.469B (33.4%)Victoria collected more gambling tax as a share of losses than any other state except lotteries-heavy jurisdictions. The POCT increase adds tens of millions in annual revenue.
Sources: VGCCC Annual Gambling Data 2024–25; AGB analysis of VGCCC data, December 2025; Responsible Gambling Victoria.
Loss Trends Over Time
Victoria's gambling data shows a clear COVID-19 interruption followed by a sharp recovery. Hotel and club pokie losses fell from $2.699 billion in 2018–19 to just $1.565 billion in 2020–21 before rebounding strongly. The 2024–25 figure of $3.145 billion is the highest recorded — but the per-adult loss of ~$550 has remained essentially flat for over a decade, meaning population growth is driving revenue growth more than intensification among existing gamblers.
VIC gambling losses by product, AUD billions, 2018–19 to 2024–25. Source: VGCCC.
VIC gambling tax & levies by product, 2024–25. Source: VGCCC.
Electronic Gaming Machine Data
Victoria's EGM machine count has been remarkably stable for over two decades. The state cap of 27,500 was set in 1994 and has been marginally reduced to 27,372. The actual peak installation was 27,444 in 2001 — meaning machines have never quite reached the cap, and the lowest count (excluding the COVID period) was 26,136 in 2013. As of June 2025, 26,805 machines were operating across 494 venues in hotels and clubs.
| Category | Venues (June 2025) | EGMs (June 2025) | Max per venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 259 | ~13,700 | 100 (standard) | Hotels with pokies are ~1 in 8 of all licensed hotels; higher per-machine losses than clubs |
| Clubs | 235 | ~13,100 | Venue-specific | Non-profit entities; lower effective tax rate; community benefit claims |
| Total (pubs & clubs) | 494 | 26,805 | State cap: 27,372 | Lowest count since 2013; mandatory carded play from Dec 2025 |
| Crown Melbourne | 1 | 2,500 | Licensed separately | Carded play since October 2023; $100 load-up limit applies from Dec 2025 |
Sources: AGB / VGCCC data, December 2025.
Losses by Local Government Area
The VGCCC publishes monthly EGM expenditure data by LGA — one of the most granular and transparent state-level gambling datasets in Australia. It also publishes venue-specific expenditure data every six months, a transparency standard that NSW and most other states do not match. The following LGAs record the highest per-adult EGM losses in Victoria.
Greater Dandenong — Highest Per-Adult Losses
$1,077 per adult (2024–25)$141 million lost to EGMs in Greater Dandenong in 2024–25 — $387,000 every day, nearly twice the metropolitan average of $581. Since pokies arrived in 1992, $4.9 billion has been extracted from this single LGA.
Melbourne Metro Average
$581 per adultMetro Melbourne average for EGM losses per adult. High-density outer-suburban LGAs like Dandenong, Casey, Hume and Brimbank consistently record above-average figures. Lowest losses are in inner-Melbourne LGAs with few pokie venues.
| Product | 2018–19 | 2020–21 (COVID) | 2022–23 | 2024–25 | Change since 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel & Club Pokies | $2.699B | $1.565B | $3.022B | $3.145B | +16.5% |
| Crown Casino | $1.679B | $399M | $983M | $958M | −42.9% (royal commission impact) |
| Lotteries | $642M | N/A | $764M | $767M | +19.5% |
| Sport & Race Wagering | ~$1.65B | N/A | $2.58B | ~$2.7B est. | +64% (online shift driving growth) |
| Total | ~$6.67B | ~$2.8B | ~$7.35B | $7.385B | +10.7% |
Sources: Responsible Gambling Victoria; VGCCC 2024–25.
Crown Melbourne
Crown Melbourne
Southbank, Melbourne · Opened 1994 · Owned by Blackstone (acquired 2022 for $8.9B)
Crown Melbourne is the largest integrated resort in the Southern Hemisphere, covering 510,000m² along the Yarra River in Southbank. It employs approximately 13,000 people and spends an estimated $417 million annually with over 1,890 Victorian businesses. Under Blackstone's ownership since 2022, Crown Melbourne has posted its first profit in five years — driven by a strategic pivot toward hospitality and high-margin leisure to reduce structural dependence on gaming revenue.
The Royal Commission into Crown Melbourne, led by Commissioner Ray Finkelstein, found in October 2021 that Crown was "unsuitable" to hold its Victorian casino licence. The commission documented money laundering, criminal infiltration, systemic responsible gambling failures, and a corporate culture that prioritised revenue over legal compliance. It recommended Crown be allowed to retain its licence subject to the appointment of a Special Manager — a position that remained in place through 2023 before being wound back as Crown demonstrated improved compliance.
Mandatory carded play on all electronic gaming machines has been in effect at Crown Melbourne since October 2023 — two years ahead of the pub and club rollout. Crown was also fined $2 million in early 2025 for allowing self-excluded players to gamble at the casino — demonstrating that even under the new regulatory environment, compliance failures continue. The extension of mandatory carded play to table games (roulette, blackjack, baccarat) has been delayed to December 2027 following Crown's argument that it needed more time to adapt its business model.
For a detailed analysis of Crown Melbourne's regulatory history, the royal commission findings and national casino regulatory context, see our Casino in Australia page.
Victoria's Reform Agenda — Australia's Most Advanced
Victoria has implemented more concrete gambling harm minimisation reforms since 2021 than any other Australian jurisdiction. The following timeline outlines the key measures, their implementation status, and what remains outstanding.
🃏 Victoria's Gambling Reform Milestones
VGCCC Established
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission replaced the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. The new body was given substantially expanded powers, including the ability to conduct strategic inquiries, issue significant fines and impose licence conditions without going to court.
Crown Melbourne Mandatory Carded Play (EGMs)
All 2,500 poker machines at Crown Melbourne commenced mandatory carded play — the first major Victorian venue to do so. This required identity verification before play and enabled pre-commitment limits. Crown CEO Mike Volkert: "Our experience demonstrates that carded play is essential to developing a safer gaming environment."
POCT Rate Increased to 15%
Victoria increased its Point of Consumption Tax on wagering from 10% to 15% — matching Queensland and South Australia as the highest POCT rates in Australia. The increase redirects tens of millions annually from operator margins to state revenue.
Mandatory 4am–10am Gaming Room Closures
All Victorian pub and club gaming rooms must now close from 4am to 10am every day. The reform was designed to reduce harm from late-night gambling sessions, which research consistently identifies as having higher problem gambling rates. Venues were given advance notice to update operational procedures.
Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024 — Passed
The landmark legislation passed the Victorian Parliament 53 votes to 25. The bill establishes the legal framework for mandatory carded play, the $100 load-up limit, minimum 3-second spin rates for new machines, and mandatory exclusion orders at Crown Melbourne.
Mandatory Carded Play + $100 Load-Up Limit (All Venues)
Using the existing YourPlay framework, mandatory carded play commenced at all Victorian pub and club poker machines. Players must insert a YourPlay card to operate any machine. The maximum load-up is capped at $100 (down from $1,000). A default $50 loss limit applies. All new machines approved from this date must have a minimum 3-second spin rate.
Evaluation of Carded Play Implementation
Following the December 2025 rollout, the government will evaluate whether to continue with non-binding pre-commitment limits or move to binding (mandatory) spending limits. Critics including ANU researcher Charles Livingstone argue that the voluntary nature of the limits weakens the reform's harm reduction potential.
Crown Melbourne — Mandatory Carded Play (Table Games)
Crown Melbourne has been granted an extension until December 2027 to implement mandatory carded play on all table games (roulette, blackjack, baccarat). Crown argued it needed more time to adapt its business model, citing concerns about the impact on table game operations and an estimated 1,000 job losses if roulette and blackjack tables had to close during the transition.
VGCCC — Enforcement and Regulatory Action
The VGCCC has used its expanded powers extensively since its establishment in 2022. Unlike its predecessor, the VGCCC operates with a genuinely interventionist posture — investigating proactively, issuing strategic reports on sectors, and levying meaningful fines for breaches rather than issuing warnings. The following is a selection of notable enforcement actions from the VGCCC's 2024–25 annual report and other published findings.
ALH — Underage Gambling
Australian Leisure and Hospitality (ALH) was fined $175,000 after pleading guilty to 24 charges for allowing a teenager to gamble at 5 venues — Albion Charles Hotel, Cramers Hotel, Doncaster Hotel, Excelsior Hotel and Rose Hotel. The case followed VGCCC surveillance and compliance checks.
Crown Melbourne — Self-Excluded Patrons
Crown Melbourne was fined $2 million for allowing self-excluded players to gamble at the casino — a direct breach of its licence conditions and the Royal Commission's recommendations. The VGCCC also issued 98 written warnings to Crown in 2024–25 for various regulatory breaches.
ATM and EFTPOS Compliance
The VGCCC conducted extensive compliance checks on cash-dispensing facilities at gaming venues — targeting ATM placement, EFTPOS machine settings, and cash withdrawal limits within gaming areas. Restrictions on cash access near EGMs are a key harm minimisation measure. Several venues received fines for non-compliance.
Mountain View Hotel — Regulatory Breach
An example of lower-level enforcement: Mountain View Hotel was fined $2,500 for a regulatory breach. The VGCCC publishes all enforcement actions, including minor fines, in its annual report — a transparency standard that creates accountability throughout the industry, not just at the major operators.
Racing, Sports Betting and Wagering
Victoria is Australia's thoroughbred racing heartland. Racing Victoria's FY25 annual report confirmed $7.611 billion in national betting turnover on Victorian thoroughbred racing — maintaining its position as the single largest wagering product in Australia by turnover. The Melbourne Cup Carnival in November 2025 generated over $1 billion in national wagering expenditure, with $382.5 million bet on Cup day alone — an 11% year-on-year increase attracting 2.3 million television viewers.
Sports betting — predominantly AFL — is the fastest-growing wagering segment in Victoria. From July 2024, the POCT rate on wagering increased to 15%, capturing a larger share of the substantial digital bookmaker revenues generated by Victorian residents. Tabcorp's exclusive Victorian retail wagering licence, which commenced in August 2024, provides a significant revenue backstop for the company alongside its declining TAB retail network.
For a full analysis of wagering market structure, operator market shares, the POCT framework and sports betting trends, see our Sports Betting in Australia page.
Gambling Harm in Victoria
The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation — funded by gambling taxes — provides the most comprehensive state-level gambling harm data in Australia. Its research consistently documents the regressive nature of EGM harm, the scale of financial and social costs, and the gap between government revenue and harm investment.
- Total social cost of gambling in Victoria estimated at $14.1 billion in 2022–23 — nearly six times the $2.4 billion in taxes collected (Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation)
- Gambling harm accounts for an estimated 22% of Victoria's mental health sector costs
- The VRGF's annual budget for harm prevention in 2023–24 was $41.9 million — less than 2% of gambling tax revenue
- Greater Dandenong lost $1,077 per adult to EGMs in 2024–25 — nearly twice the metropolitan average — while $4.9 billion has been extracted from this single LGA since 1992
- EGM losses are highest in the outer-suburban ring: Casey, Hume, Brimbank, Whittlesea and Greater Dandenong consistently record above-average losses
- The Responsible Gambling Victoria website provides monthly loss data by LGA for transparency
