New Deakin University research on Crown Casino

Deakin University’s Associate Professor Linda Hancock has released findings from a new study of Crown Casino - Melbourne’s Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct - as part of a broader study of staff across the industry.

 “Casinos are corporate large-scale, licensed premises, operating under largely industry self-regulated Responsible Gambling Codes of Conduct,” Associate Professor Hancock said.

“This research asks how well Responsible Gambling Codes of Conduct are implemented and regulated.”

“Crown Casino has been chosen strategically for its claims to international best practice in responsible gambling and formal regulatory requirements that it operate to world class standards, including responsible gambling and responsible serving of alcohol.”

The research reports on interviews with 225 Crown Casino workers, conducted privately in their own time - including gaming, bar, food and beverage and security staff as well as focus groups.

Key findings include:

• a lack of staff awareness of even the limited number of ‘signs’ of problem gambling included in the Crown Code of Conduct that are meant to trigger staff reporting of problem gambling;
• interpretation of signs like ‘gambling for long periods of time’ to mean 24 hours or more;
  
• ambiguity in the ‘upward report-to-supervisor’ process resulting in low rates of floor staff interventions in problem gambling - because they are told not to intervene;
• 65.3% of casino employee interviewees say they do not advise customers to take regular breaks in play;
• 55.3% say they would not intervene when customers are in a distressed state while they are playing; and
• 81.2% say they do not approach people whom they think are having problems with their gambling.

“While Crown has only nine signs of problem gambling, they use 29 across the Netherlands casinos, 20 in Switzerland and 32 in New Zealand Sky City Auckland Problem Gambler Identification Policy," Associate Professor Hancock said.

This Working Paper is the precursor to a book: Regulatory Failure? The case of Crown Casino to be published by Australian Scholarly Publishing.

It can be downloaded from:
www.deakin.edu.au/alfred-deakin-research-institute/publications/workingpapers.php
 
For media inquiries about this story, contact the Government and Media Relations Unit:
www.deakin.edu.au/marketing/govt-media/index.php

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