Ministerial directions and guidelines are issued by the relevant Minister in the Government Gazette.
The directions and guidelines set the direction for gambling and liquor licensing in Victoria, and are taken into account by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (the Commission) in licensing decisions.
For information about gaming directions and guidelines issued by the Commission, please go to the VGCCC directions and guidelines.
From 26 May 2020, online or telephone betting operators providing interactive wagering and betting services to Victorian residents must comply with strict new requirements regarding betting account deposit limits, restrictions on direct marketing and a ban on inducements for consumers to continue betting.
To view the Ministerial Order for wagering and betting, see: Ministerial Direction 26 May 2020
Locating gaming machines in a building with permanent residential accommodation is inconsistent with the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 responsible gambling objectives.
When considering application for the approval of premises as suitable for gaming, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission must have regard to the Victorian Government's policy that any building that includes (or is planned to include) permanent residential accommodation should not be approved as a premises suitable for gaming.
Applicants should read the decision-making guidelines for full details.
Venue operators making an application to the VGCCC for approval of premises as suitable for gaming are required to specify in their application how the proposal will provide a responsible gambling environment, including outlining the location and appropriateness of a children's play area.
The guidelines set out the matters that the VGCCC will have regard to when assessing the suitability of premises for gaming that contain a children's play area.
The guidelines apply to a determination of:
In determining these applications, the VGCCC will have regard to the objectives of ensuring, as far as practicable, that a children's play area in a gaming venue is designed such that it:
Applicants should read the Decision-making guidelines - assessment of children's play areas for full details.
There are certain matters that need to be taken into account by the Commission in determining whether to grant an approval for automatic teller machines in a gaming venues. Download the Ministerial direction for automatic teller machine in a gaming venue for more information.
It is an offence for a person while the ban is in force, to offer or provide 'moneyless gaming machines' or to adopt a gambling practice in connection with these 'moneyless gaming machines'.
A 'moneyless gaming machine':
The then Minister for Gaming has made a fixed term order banning moneyless gaming machines for a period of ten years from 14 March 2012. The Ministerial direction - ban of moneyless gaming machines is available for download.
The then Minister for Gaming has made a fixed term order banning the use of earphones, earpieces, headphones, headsets, or any other device, on a gaming machine that converts signals from a gaming machine to audible sound that is delivered to the ear of a person playing a gaming machine and is not designed or intended primarily to assist a hearing impaired person.
The fixed term order is for a period of ten years from 3 December 2012.
The Ministerial direction - Ban of earphones & listening devices in gaming areas is available for download.
The ministerial direction defines the activities that constitute community purposes and can be claimed in a community benefit statement. Download the Ministerial Direction - Community benefit statement for further information.
Entitlements may be transferred from one venue operator to another (or may be allocated by the State) through a transfer scheme. For more information, download the Ministerial Determination - Gaming machine entitlement allocation and transfer rules.
Club venue operators are not able to hold more than 840 club gaming machine entitlements. For more information about the commencement of this change, download the Ministerial Declaration.
The Minister has set the maximum number of gaming machine entitlements under which gaming may be conducted to be 27,372, see Ministerial Order - number of gaming machine entitlements.
The following ministerial directions relate to requirements for gaming machines in Victoria under the Casino Control Act 1991. Click on the individual direction for more information.
The following Government Gazette notice by the VGCCC is in relation to Casino Specified Areas as directed in the Ministerial Direction for gaming machine requirements listed above:
On 20 September 2017, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation announced a number of changes to regional caps and municipal limits on gaming machine entitlements. Full details of the changes are available via the Ministerial Order dated 20 September 2017.
In 2017, the State offered to purchase two entitlements under which gaming may be conducted in the municipal district of the Rural City of Swan Hill. Download the Ministerial Order - State Offer to Purchase Gaming Machine Entitlements for more information.
The Player Information Standards contain printed materials that are part of a range of initiatives to promote responsible gambling in Victoria. The YourPlay scheme is a government initiative that can assist players to make informed decisions about their gambling.
The Gambling Regulations 2015 enable the Minister to make standards setting out the information and the required form of printed player information materials that are required to be displayed in venues.
The VGCCC is responsible for ensuring industry compliance with this requirement. For more information visit the gaming signage page.
It is compulsory for certain organisations that hold gambling industry participants to have a code of conduct to ensure they comply with regulations and to promote harm minimisation caused by problem gambling. Download the Ministerial Direction for Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct for more information.
A self exclusion program is a service offered by the gaming industry to those people who wish to exclude themselves from gaming areas in clubs and hotels in Victoria. As stated in the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 it is compulsory for gaming venue operators to have a self exclusion program. Download the Ministerial Direction for self exclusion program for more information.
The Minister determined that the maximum amount of prescribed costs associated with entering trade promotion lotteries will be increased from $0.70 to $1 effective from Tuesday 9 February 2016.
For more information, download the Ministerial Direction - trade promotion lottery max entry cost.
On 28 August 2019 the Minister made a decision to amend the Wagering and Betting Licence issued to Tabcorp Wagering (Vic) Pty Ltd. The Minister has amended clause 4 of the licence which removes the obligation on Tabcorp to operate as a betting exchange during their term as the wagering and betting licensee.
For a copy of the decision see: Ministerial direction - Amendment to Wagering and Betting Licence.
There are arrangements for the regulation of the Victorian gaming industry to reflect the commencement of the state-wide pre-commitment scheme. The arrangements reflect that the only limit setting system allowed in relation to electronic gaming machines in the casino and approved venues from 1 December 2015 will be the pre-commitment system.