In an Australian first, Victorians will have the power to track and limit their betting on any electronic gaming machine in the state.
Minister for Consumer Affairs, Liquor and Gaming Jane Garrett said the voluntary pre-commitment scheme, YourPlay, has been available at any venue from 1 December.
The technology, by Greek company Intralot Gaming Services (a wholly owned subsidiary of Intralot Australia), allows players to limit how much they spend, track their time, and set personalised warning messages to remind them to stop if they choose to do so.
The statewide rollout coincided with the release of a new study which examines the emerging trends and prevalence of problem gambling in Victoria.
The study found that one in three players would use a pre-commitment system to set a time or money limit on their play.
The Andrews Labor government will review YourPlay in six months’ time by using the data from the gambling study as a benchmark to help measure the impact of the scheme.
The study identified significant shifts in the gaming landscape over the past six years, such as the growth of sports betting and online gambling.
The study outlines a number of concerning trends, including an increase in the number of low-risk gamblers, particularly among women.
It collected data from more than 13,000 participants, who took part in random landline and mobile phone interviews.