1. Adult-Only Access

Entry to all gaming areas at Merquello Royal Hotel is restricted to persons who are 18 years of age or older. This requirement is absolute and is enforced at every point of entry to our casino floor, regardless of whether a guest intends to gamble.

How We Verify Age

• Our trained gaming staff reserve the right to request valid, government-issued photo identification from any guest who appears to be under 25 years of age or about whom reasonable doubt exists.
• Accepted identification documents include current Australian driver licences, Australian passports, international passports and other forms of government-issued photographic proof of age recognised under applicable Victorian law.
• Guests who are unable to produce satisfactory identification will be refused entry to gaming areas. This decision is final and is not subject to negotiation.
• Identification checks may be conducted at any point during a visit, including at gaming tables and electronic gaming machine areas.

Protecting Minors

No person under the age of 18 may enter or remain in any area of Merquello Royal Hotel that is designated for gambling purposes. Guests are asked not to bring minors into gaming areas and to ensure that any person they invite to accompany them meets the minimum age requirement. Any guest who is found to have assisted a minor in gaining access to a gaming area may be asked to leave the premises and may be reported to the relevant authorities.

We also recognise that some guests may be concerned about a young person in their care spending time near gaming environments. If you have concerns of this nature, please speak with a member of our guest services team, who will assist you discreetly.

2. Gambling Is Optional Entertainment

Merquello Royal Hotel offers a broad range of experiences for our guests. Gambling is one option among many and is never presented as a requirement of your stay or visit. We firmly believe that informed, voluntary participation is the only appropriate basis for any form of gambling.

Key Principles We Ask Every Guest to Consider

We encourage all guests to decide in advance how much time and money they are comfortable spending on gambling during a visit and to treat these decisions as firm personal boundaries rather than suggestions.

3. Managing Your Time and Spending

Setting clear limits before you begin gambling is one of the most effective ways to keep the experience enjoyable. The following strategies are recommended for every guest who chooses to use our gaming facilities.

Spending Limits

• Decide on a maximum amount you are willing to spend before you enter the gaming area. Once that amount is reached, treat the session as complete.
• Bring only the funds you have allocated for gambling. Leave credit cards, bank cards and additional cash in a secure location so that accessing additional funds requires a deliberate decision rather than an impulsive one.
• Avoid borrowing money from other guests or from any source for the purpose of continued gambling.
• If you find that you consistently spend more than you intended, consider reducing your budget for future visits or speaking with a member of our responsible gambling team.

Time Limits

• Decide in advance how long you intend to spend gambling and set a reminder on your watch or mobile device so that you are notified when your allocated time has elapsed.
• Casinos are designed without natural light or prominent clocks. We recommend actively monitoring the time throughout your visit.
• Plan other activities around your visit so that your gambling session has a natural and pre-determined end point.
• If you notice that you have been playing significantly longer than intended, step away from the gaming area and reassess before continuing.

Keeping a Personal Record

Some guests find it helpful to keep an informal record of the amounts they spend and the duration of their gambling sessions over time. This can provide a clearer picture of gambling as part of your overall recreational spending and help you recognise any patterns that concern you.

4. Recognising Signs of Concern

For most people, gambling remains an enjoyable and occasional leisure activity. However, for some individuals, gambling can become less enjoyable and begin to affect other areas of life. Being able to recognise the signs of concern early is an important step toward maintaining a healthy relationship with gambling.

The following are behaviours and experiences that may indicate gambling is no longer serving as simple entertainment. They are presented here as informational indicators, not as any form of assessment.

Possible Indicators in Your Own Behaviour

• Gambling with money set aside for essential expenses such as rent, bills or food.
• Feeling a strong urge to gamble that is difficult to resist or postpone.
• Spending more time or money gambling than you originally planned, repeatedly.
• Returning to gamble shortly after a session in order to try to win back losses.
• Feeling restless, irritable or preoccupied when not gambling.
• Concealing the extent of your gambling from people you are close to.
• Borrowing money or selling possessions to fund gambling.
• Neglecting work, study, family responsibilities or personal commitments because of time spent gambling.
• Gambling as a way of escaping feelings of stress, worry or low mood.
• Finding that gambling has stopped being enjoyable but continuing anyway.

Signs You May Notice in Someone Else

• Significant unexplained changes in financial circumstances.
• Withdrawal from social activities or relationships that previously mattered to them.
• Increased secrecy about how they spend their time or money.
• Requests to borrow money without a clear explanation.
• Visible distress, anxiety or mood changes that appear linked to gambling outcomes.
• References to gambling as something they feel they cannot stop or control.

If you recognise any of these indicators in yourself or in someone you care about, we encourage you to take them seriously and to explore the options outlined in the sections below.

5. Taking a Break

Stepping away from gaming at regular intervals is a straightforward habit that helps you maintain perspective, reassess your enjoyment and make deliberate decisions about whether to continue. We actively encourage all guests to take breaks during any gambling session.

During Your Visit

• Leave the gaming area at regular intervals. Our hotel offers a variety of spaces where you can rest, reflect and enjoy other aspects of your visit.
• Use your break to check in against the spending and time limits you set before you began. If you have reached either limit, your session is complete.
• Avoid making decisions about continuing to gamble while you are still seated at a game or machine. Stand up, move away from the gaming area and give yourself a clear moment to decide.
• Eat, hydrate and rest appropriately. Prolonged fatigue can impair judgement and lead to decisions that you would not otherwise make.

Between Visits

If you feel that a break from gambling over a longer period would be beneficial, you do not need to provide an explanation or meet any particular threshold to act on that feeling. You can choose simply not to visit gaming areas, or you can formalise a break through our self-exclusion arrangements, which are described in the following section.

6. Property Self-Exclusion

Merquello Royal Hotel operates a voluntary self-exclusion programme that allows any guest to formally request that they be prevented from entering our gaming areas for a defined period. Self-exclusion is a practical tool available to anyone who feels that taking a structured break from gambling at our property would benefit them.

How Self-Exclusion Works

• Self-exclusion is entirely voluntary. You may apply at any time by speaking confidentially with a member of our responsible gambling team or by requesting to speak with the Duty Manager on our casino floor.
• You will be asked to complete a self-exclusion agreement in person. A photograph and identifying details will be collected to allow our staff to enforce the exclusion effectively.
• Self-exclusion applies to all casino and gaming areas within Merquello Royal Hotel. Excluded individuals who attempt to access gaming areas will be asked to leave.
• The minimum period for self-exclusion and the arrangements for reviewing or renewing an exclusion will be explained to you in full at the time of your application, in accordance with applicable Victorian requirements.
• Once an exclusion is in place, any winnings accumulated during an excluded period may be subject to forfeiture under applicable law.
• You may request information about extending your self-exclusion at any time before the current period expires.

Registering for Self-Exclusion

To begin the self-exclusion process, please approach any member of gaming staff, guest services or the Duty Manager and ask to speak privately about a responsible gambling matter. All conversations are handled with full discretion and without judgement. You may also write to us at our registered address:

For written enquiries, please mark your correspondence Private & Confidential — Responsible Gambling.

Important Limitations

Our self-exclusion programme applies only to gaming areas operated by at our Melbourne property. If you wish to exclude yourself from gambling more broadly, we encourage you to contact Victorian regulatory authorities directly, as they administer broader exclusion mechanisms applicable to venues regulated under Victorian gaming law.

7. Support from Trusted Contacts

Concerns about gambling are often first noticed by family members, friends or colleagues before the person concerned acknowledges them personally. If someone close to you has expressed concern about your gambling, we encourage you to take that observation seriously and to have an open conversation about it.

For Guests Who Are Concerned About Someone Else

If you are worried about a family member or someone close to you, there are constructive ways to approach the situation:

• Choose a calm, private moment to raise your concerns rather than confronting the person during or immediately after a gambling session.
• Express your concerns in terms of specific behaviours and their impact on your relationship or household, rather than in general or judgemental terms.
• Encourage the person to seek information about responsible gambling resources and, if appropriate, to speak with our team or to consider self-exclusion.
• Recognise that the decision to change behaviour must ultimately be made by the individual concerned. Your role is to provide support and to ensure they know it is available.
• Be mindful of your own wellbeing. Supporting someone who is experiencing difficulties with gambling can be emotionally demanding. Seeking your own support from trusted sources is equally valid.

Exclusion Requests on Behalf of a Family Member

In certain circumstances, immediate family members may be able to apply to have a person excluded from gaming areas on welfare grounds, in accordance with the provisions of Victorian gaming legislation. Please speak with our responsible gambling team or Duty Manager for further information about this process. Such requests are handled with sensitivity and in accordance with applicable privacy obligations.

8. Responsible Gambling Resources in Victoria

A range of publicly funded support services is available to people in Victoria who have concerns about their own gambling or the gambling of someone close to them. These services are provided independently of Merquello Royal Hotel and operate under the oversight of relevant state and federal authorities.

Government and Regulatory Bodies

The Victorian Government regulates gambling activities in this state through designated regulatory authorities. These bodies publish guidance on responsible gambling, establish the minimum standards that venues must meet and administer formal exclusion mechanisms. You can obtain information about regulatory oversight and your rights as a patron by contacting the relevant Victorian gambling regulator directly through official government channels.

Free Counselling and Support

Government-funded counselling services are available to Victorian residents and visitors at no cost. These services offer confidential conversations, practical guidance and, where appropriate, referral to other forms of support. They are accessible to the person who gambles as well as to family members and others who are affected. Information about accessing these services is available through official Victorian government websites and community information points.

Financial Guidance

If gambling has affected your financial situation, free and independent financial guidance is available through community-based financial wellbeing services operating in Victoria. These services can assist you to understand your options and develop a plan for managing your finances going forward. Details are available through local community organisations and government information services.

Accessing Information

Our responsible gambling team can provide you with printed information about the support services available in Victoria. This information is also displayed prominently within our gaming areas in accordance with our obligations under applicable legislation. Please ask any member of staff if you would like a copy.

9. Our Staff and Responsible Gambling Training

All gaming staff at Merquello Royal Hotel receive structured training in responsible gambling practices as part of their induction and as part of ongoing professional development. This training equips them to:

• Identify guest behaviour that may indicate concern and respond appropriately.
• Provide clear, non-judgemental information about the support options available at our property and in the broader community.
• Facilitate self-exclusion requests efficiently and with complete discretion.
• Refuse service to guests who are visibly intoxicated, as impaired judgement is incompatible with responsible gambling.
• Enforce age-verification requirements consistently and without exception.
• Direct guests to printed and digital responsible gambling materials.

You will never be pressured by our staff to continue gambling, to increase your wagers or to remain in a gaming area beyond a point at which you wish to leave. If you ever feel that a staff member has acted contrary to these principles, we encourage you to report your experience to the Duty Manager or in writing to our registered address.

10. Feedback and Contact

We welcome feedback about our responsible gambling practices. If you have a suggestion about how we can better support our guests, or if you have a concern you wish to raise, please contact us using the details below.

For urgent responsible gambling matters during your visit, please speak directly with the Duty Manager on duty in our gaming areas. Our team is available at all times during operating hours.