To establish a new gaming venue, an applicant must obtain a Venue Operator Licence from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC).

An application will be approved only if it meets the requirements of the Gaming Regulation Act 2003. Most importantly, the Commission cannot approve an application if the proposal would have a negative impact on the community. For more information, see Key factors in deciding gaming machine applications fact sheet (PDF, 279.68 KB).

The social and economic impacts associated with an application are considered by decision makers. Impacts may be positive (‘benefits’) or negative (‘disbenefits’) and are generally given different weights (e.g. low, moderate, high) to estimate the overall impact of the proposal. The relative importance of social and economic impacts within each assessment process is determined by the VGCCC, not by Council.

On 24 April 2024, Council made the unanimous decision to oppose the application. This decision was based on information presented by independent consultants, including:

• a Social and Economic Impact Assessment, which determined that the proposal would have an overall net detriment on the wellbeing of the community; and

• the results of a community survey, with 60.36 per cent of respondents believing that the 50 electronic gaming machines in the Romsey township would have a negative impact on the broader community and a further 59.93 per cent of respondents not supporting the application.

Under the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 and its amendments, the VGCCC is responsible for determining applications for a Venue Operator Licence at a public hearing.

The Act allows Council to make a submission in respect to a Venue Operator Licence application and to appear at the public hearing to present evidence in support of its submission.

Council received a planning permit application on 19 January 2024 relating to the development of an extension to an existing building at 90-94 Main Street in Romsey.

The application to Council was withdrawn on 25 July 2024.

Under the Act, the applicant is entitled to appeal the VGCCC’s decision at VCAT. A notice of appeal must be lodged within 28 days of the reasons for the VGCCC’s decision being handed down