For thousands of years, people have been gambling and placing bets on sports. Every country in the world has some form of gambling or another. Whether it is legal or illegal, the fact is that gambling is thoroughly ingrained into our society.

For those countries where gambling is legal, measures have been put in place to ensure that licences are granted only to establishments that uphold the specific law and abide by certain rules. In Australia, there are many gambling authorities that govern the various gambling institutions. For the state of Victoria, that authority was previously known as the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation or the (VCGR).

What is the VCGR?

When the commission started operation in 2004, it was originally part of the Victorian Department of Justice. The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation officially operated from 2004 to 2012. It was responsible for overseeing and regulating the four gambling operators who held a licence in the state of Victoria. These were the Crown Casino, Tabcorp Holdings Limited, Tatts Group Limited and Intralot. These four companies encompassed land based casino gaming, lotteries, keno operations, as well as sports betting the state of Victoria in Australia.

The Merger with Responsible Alcohol Victoria

In February 2012, the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation merged with the Responsible Alcohol Victoria to form the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation or (VCGLR). The VCGLR integrates the roles of the former VCGR as well as the Director of Liquor Licensing and the Liquor Licensing Panel. The commission assumes the functions of Responsible Alcohol Victoria and has the ability to undertake disciplinary actions against institutions that are not in regulation with the rules of the state.

Gambling and Liquor Regulations

The former Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation, now the VCGLR can be split into two main categories, that being gambling and liquor. The gambling section of the commission can further be broken up into particular categories in which the gambling is regulated. The first of these categories is Bingo. Bingo is considered a form of minor gambling. The commission states that bingo may be conducted for fundraising purposes by organisations declared (registered) by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation as a community or charitable organisation. The bingo operator at https://www.australianpokiesonline.net/ may charge a fee to run the bingo and recover their expenses up to a set limit.

Operations under the VCGLR

In addition to bingo, the former Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation, now the VCGLR is also responsible for regulating and governing all Keno operations as well as public lotteries, trade promotion lotteries, wagering, sports betting, community gaming and the Crown Casino. The commission also governs the employees of the online river belle casino as well as applications for licences and new gaming areas. Local business who intend to conduct a raffle for a charitable organisation or for commercial use must hold a Commercial raffle organiser’s licence. Organisations can apply for a licence directly from the VCGLR by downloading the application form. Once the raffle has taken place, the organisation must submit a statement of return to the commission within three months of the draw date of each raffle that has taken place.