One week ago the Victorian government announced that Intralot Gaming Services has won a 15-year licence to monitor Victoria's hotel and club gaming machines, effective from August 2012, with a view to help restructure the state's gaming industry. Intralot will provide a single independent electronic monitoring service of all Victorian gaming machines except those at Crown Casino. Since 1992, gaming operators in the Australian state - Tattersalls and Tabcorp - have had separate monitoring systems.
Gaming Minister Michael O'Brien said the change to a new venue-based gaming system made a new gaming monitoring licensee necessary. In Victoria, pubs and clubs will individually own machines: "It's very important for the probity and integrity of the process that we have an efficient and capable monitoring licensee. We believe we have that with Intralot."
As licensee, IGS, which provides monitoring services to licensed gaming organizations worldwide, will monitor gaming machine transactions and provide information on the 27,000 gaming machines to the Victorian government for regulation, tax, research and other purposes.
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O'Brien said an independent panel will regulate charges to hotels and clubs, adding that the government will work closely with the industry to prepare for the new arrangements. The Department of Justice secretary recommended the licence be awarded to Intralot over Tattersalls.
The integrity of gaming will still be overseen by the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation. The Victoria Gaming Minister said Crown Casino will continue to operate under a separate monitoring system because it is subject to different legislative requirements. (E-09.14.11)
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