Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill overhauls Queensland's casino regulation following the Gotterson Review, which found money laundering, links to organised crime, and inadequate harm minimisation at Star Entertainment's Queensland casinos. It introduces mandatory identity-linked player cards, cashless gambling limits, binding pre-commitment systems for loss and time limits, a new supervision levy on casinos, five-yearly reviews of casino operations, and requirements to exclude people banned from interstate casinos.
Who it affects
Casino patrons will need player cards and must set gambling limits. Casino operators face major new obligations including a supervision levy, real-time regulator access to their systems, and significantly higher penalties. Casino executives face personal liability for compliance failures.
Key changes
- Mandatory identity-linked player cards required for all casino gambling, removing anonymous play
- Binding pre-commitment systems where players must set loss, spending and time limits — play stops when limits are reached
- Cash transaction limits in casinos to be set by regulation (e.g. $1,000 per day) to combat money laundering
- New annual supervision levy on casinos to fund regulation and gambling harm reduction programs, replacing the old licence fee
- Five-yearly independent reviews of each casino licence examining suitability, governance and public interest, paid for by casino entities
- Casino operators must exclude persons banned from interstate casinos by police commissioners, with penalties up to 250 penalty units for non-compliance
- New personal duty on casino executives to ensure lawful operations and a compliance culture, with a maximum penalty of 1,000 penalty units (approximately $154,800)
- Penalties increased for over 60 offences, with some rising tenfold (e.g. operating gaming equipment outside a casino: from 200 to 1,000 penalty units)
- The terms 'problem gambler' and 'responsible gambling' replaced with 'person experiencing harm from gambling' and 'safer gambling' across all Queensland gambling laws
- Casinos banned from sending marketing material without express consent and cannot require marketing consent as a condition of obtaining a player card
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
▸Committee25 Oct 2023View Hansard
Referred to Legal Affairs and Safety Committee
The Legal Affairs and Safety Committee examined the Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 over three months, receiving three submissions, holding a public hearing with the Alliance for Gambling Reform and the Office of the Information Commissioner, and conducting a site visit to The Star Brisbane. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, finding that the reforms to implement the Gotterson Review recommendations were necessary to minimise gambling harm and reduce criminal influence in Queensland casinos. Key issues examined included mandatory carded play, cashless gambling limits, player data privacy protections, a compulsory code of conduct, a supervision levy for casino owners, periodic suitability reviews, and interstate police exclusion powers.
Key findings (5)
- The committee found the bill's measures to implement mandatory carded play, cashless gambling above $1,000, and binding pre-commitment limits were appropriate responses to the Gotterson Review's findings on gambling harm in Queensland casinos.
- Stakeholder concerns about player data privacy were addressed, with the committee satisfied the bill strikes the right balance between protecting personal information and enabling data sharing for criminal investigations and gambling harm research.
- The committee supported replacing voluntary self-regulation with a mandatory code of conduct for safer gambling, noting that industry self-regulation is not appropriate for a large, concentrated sector with significant public impact like gambling.
- The committee endorsed the introduction of a supervision levy so that the cost of regulating casinos is borne by casino operators rather than taxpayers, particularly given the scale and profitability of casino corporations.
- The committee noted that while the gambling reform agenda remains unfinished and could be expanded to other gambling products beyond casinos, expanding the scope was outside the objectives of this bill.
Recommendations (1)
- The committee recommends the Casino Control and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 be passed.
Committee report tabled
▸Second Reading19 Mar 2024View Hansard
▸10 members spoke5 support5 mixed
Raised concerns about over-regulation, mandatory carded play creating surveillance databases, and threats to civil liberties and privacy, while acknowledging gambling addiction is a serious issue.
“There is absolutely no reason to put someone in a database like this. People are put in a database because they are a criminal.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard
As Attorney-General, introduced the bill implementing the remaining 11 Gotterson review recommendations to enhance casino integrity, minimise gambling harm, and restore public confidence following findings of egregious conduct by casino operators.
“This bill introduces some ambitious reforms, but they are needed to: prevent criminal influence and infiltration in Queensland casinos; ensure that the failures of Star are not repeated again; and protect consumers and further minimise the potential for gambling harm.”— 2024-03-19View Hansard
Strongly supported the bill's gambling harm minimisation reforms including mandatory carded play and precommitment limits, arguing only a Labor government would pursue such reforms.
“The amendments contained in this bill are aimed at minimising the destructive impact of problem gambling and criminal influences inside casinos and I am proud to support them.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard
Supported proper casino regulation but heavily criticised the government for delays, inadequate gambling harm minimisation spending, lack of transparency around Star's remediation plan, and the narrow terms of reference given to the Gotterson review.
“A miserly $11.9 million—0.62 per cent. That is how much Labor is spending on harm minimisation.”— 2024-03-19View Hansard
Criticised the government for being slow to act on casino regulation, the limited terms of reference of the Gotterson review, and the Attorney-General's conduct, but did not explicitly state opposition to the bill's passage.
“This government turned a blind eye to all of it for too long.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard
As former committee member, outlined the bill's implementation of the Gotterson review recommendations and supported measures including mandatory carded play, cashless gambling limits, and a mandatory code of conduct.
“Gambling has become an incredibly insidious presence in our society.”— 2024-03-19View Hansard
Defended the bill in reply as delivering among the most significant gambling harm minimisation reforms in Australian history, including mandatory carded play, precommitment, and the toughest casino penalties in the country.
“It is no exaggeration to say that the reforms presented in this bill are among the most significant steps taken to reduce gambling harm in any jurisdiction in this country in the history of gambling regulation.”— 2024-03-20View Hansard
Supported measures to reduce gambling harm and properly regulate casinos, but criticised the government for delays, narrow terms of reference for the Gotterson review, and failure to adequately fund harm minimisation.
“That is why we will not be opposing this bill, but I want it on the record that this government is not treating this issue with sufficient urgency.”— 2024-03-19View Hansard
Supported the bill's implementation of Gotterson review recommendations, particularly mandatory carded play, precommitment systems, and a compulsory code of conduct for casino operators.
“The recommendations surrounding cards, spending limits and anti-money-laundering measures are all very intelligent amendments, but a code of conduct will hold casinos to a standard that they very clearly need to be held to.”— 2024-03-19View Hansard
Raised concerns about privacy implications of mandatory carded play and cashless gambling, arguing they set a dangerous precedent for government regulation of private financial activity, while acknowledging the need for casino reform.
“Restricting how a person can access and where they can spend their own money interferes with a person's right to personal autonomy and, therefore, their right to a private life.”— 2024-03-19View Hansard
Assent date: 28 March 2024