Victorian gambling regulator turns to AI in compliance fight
Victoria’s gambling regulator will increase its use of artificial intelligence, data and predictive analysis under a new three-year strategy designed to identify gambling harm and other emerging risks earlier.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has released Strategy 2029, outlining plans to shift towards increasingly proactive and intelligence-led regulation as gambling products and technology continue to evolve.
The strategy specifically identifies investment in technology, AI, systems and data, with benefits expected to begin flowing in FY2027-28. By FY2028-29, the VGCCC expects improved data capture and predictive analysis to allow it to identify risks earlier and better target harm-minimisation activity.
VGCCC CEO Suzy Neilan said gambling sites were themselves increasingly using sophisticated technology to attract and retain customers.
“In response we will leverage technology, data, research and intelligence to allow us to identify risks earlier and act sooner,” Neilan said.
The regulator said new online gambling products, promotions and payment options were making gambling easier to access while creating challenges for regulators attempting to oversee activity across an increasing number of channels. It also warned that higher regulatory standards could push some gambling activity towards less-regulated or illegal environments.
Another major element of Strategy 2029 will be more targeted intervention, with the VGCCC planning to use data, local insights and lived experience to identify communities experiencing elevated levels of gambling harm.
Rather than applying the same approach across Victoria, regulatory resources will be concentrated where the VGCCC believes they can have the greatest impact.
Betting sites and gambling operators have also been put on notice, with the regulator promising to maintain a “strong regulatory posture” and hold gambling companies accountable for reducing both gambling harm and criminal influence.
