Oceania / Australasia gambling laws

Oceania or Oceanica / Australasia consists of the various lands that are bound both geographically as well as geopolitically. There are mostly islands in the Pacific Ocean and the nearby area. These islands also include the vast island as well as continent of Australia.

Other countries that are part of the continent of Oceania are New Zealand, New Guinea and different islands of the Malay Archipelago.

Gambling Laws in Victoria

Let us look at the gambling laws prevalent in the Victoria region of Australia: Gambling Legislation: The regulation of the gaming industry and all the gambling activities in Victoria is the responsibility of the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation (VCGR).

Key legislation: The law presiding over the conduct of gambling, the licensing of gambling industry and its participants and the abiding by the laws by the licensees' legal obligations is set out in the following legislation:
• Gambling Regulation Act 2003
• Casino Control Act 1991
• Casino (Management Agreement) Act 1993
• Gambling Regulation Regulations 2005
• Gambling Regulation (Signage) Regulations 2005
• Gambling Regulation (Commerical Raffle Organisers) Regulation 2006
• Gambling Regulation (Infringements Offences) Regulations 2006
• Casino Control (Boundary Redefinition Fee) Regulations 2005
• Casino Control (Licence Fees) Regulations 2005.

Gambling Regulation Act 2003: The main gambling act in Victoria, which is the Gambling Regulation Act 2003, has the following provisions:
• It by and large prohibits gambling and activities relating to gambling unless they are authorized under this Act or the Casino Control Act 1991
• It provides for the conduct under license of gaming on gaming machines at venues and the casinos that are approved
• It provides for the licensing of wagering and betting competitions, which includes on-course wagering as well.
• It provides for the performance under license of public lotteries and trade promotion lotteries
• It provides for the action of Club Keno games
• It provides for the conduct under license of interactive gaming
• It provides for the conduct of gaming by group of people, society or charitable organizations.
• It provides for the licensing of bingo centre operators and people working in this industry.
• It provides for the conduct of gaming on board cruise ships traveling anywhere between Victoria and Tasmania
• It establishes the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation to supervise gambling in Victoria.
Casino Control Act 1991: The objective of this Act is to institute a system for the licensing, supervision and control of casinos. The main purpose is to: • make sure that the management and functioning of casinos remain free from criminal manipulation or development
• make certain that gaming in casinos is conducted sincerely
• encourage tourism, employment, and economic development generally in Victoria Casino (Management Agreement) Act 1993: The main idea behind this Act is to approve the management accord for the Melbourne Casino.

Gambling Regulation Regulations 2005: These Regulations talk about matters that are certified or still required to be set by the Gambling Regulation Act 2003. These matters speak about:
• gaming machines
• wagering and betting trade
• promotion lotteries
• Club Keno
• community and charitable gaming
• fees
Gambling Regulation (Signage) Regulations 2005: These Regulations describe which signs are barred from the general exclusion under section 3.5.35 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003.

Gambling Regulation (Commercial Raffle Organisers) Regulation 2006 - These Regulations talk about:

• fees for applications for the renewal of commercial raffle organizer’s licenses information to be included in notices relating to applications for commercial raffle organizer’s licenses
• conditions of a commercial raffle organizer’s license
• the qualifications of an assessor to be used to audit accounts
Casino Control (Boundary Redefinition Fee) Regulations 2005: The main purpose behind these Regulations is to set down the fee to go with an application for the redefinition of the boundaries of a casino.

Casino Control (Licence Fees) Regulations 2005: These Regulations prescribe the:
• fees to go with an application for a special employee license
• fees to go with an application for renewal or variation of a license
• fees to be paid for a replacement license
Gambling Regulation (Infringement Offences) Regulations 2006: These regulations recommend a number of offences as punishable by violation notice.

Gambling Laws in New Zealand

Now let us look at some of the Gambling Laws in New Zealand. There are 4 types of legal gambling in New Zealand:
1. Lotteries: These include Lotto and Daily Keno. There is no age limit.
2. Instant Kiwi: Instant Kiwi is a scratch card game. One should be 16 years or above to buy Instant Kiwi tickets.
3. TAB: This agency enables gambling on horse racing and other sports. One should be at least 18 years old to place a bet with the TAB or bet at the horse racing tracks.
4. Casinos: There are numerous major casinos in New Zealand. 20 years and above is the legal age to enter into any casino.