Pokie players in Canberra have been banned from using headphones while playing pokies. Local politicians feel that the use of headphones immerses players too far into the online gaming experience, encouraging them to spend more money and exhibit compulsive gambling behaviour.
"Common sense says that plugging people into poker machines to further isolate them from reality and keep them gambling is not acceptable and not consistent with the community's expectations of what is and isn't OK," says Shane Rattenbury, MLA for The Greens. Canberra’s ban was introduced in mid-February by The Greens. The proposal was well-received and passed through the legislative process very quickly.
It received a great deal of support from local politicians, and it was not long before the ban was imposed as an amendment to the ACT’s Gaming Machine Act. The decision follows an example set by politicians in Victoria and New South Wales. Last year, they decided to restrict pokie players from plugging into their games. Allowing players to isolate themselves from the real world does not seem to be an entirely responsible practice.
Players should be aware of how much money and time they have spent on pokies, and being distracted by the game’s soundtrack does not give them the opportunity to do so. Problem gambling is becoming a prevalent and grave issue in Australia. Although pokies have a positive impact on the community at large, many individuals have found themselves addicted to the games.
Counselling and intervention programs are available, but the government also needs to take an active role in the prevention of problem gambling. Mr. Rattenbury believes that there are many more steps that local politicians can take to curb problem gambling rates. However, the ACT does not seem very enthusiastic about introducing pre-commitment technology.
The territory was supposed to host the country’s first-ever mandatory pre-commitment trial, but Clubs ACT refused to take part until September’s election.
About the Author
