Australia isn’t the only country that is mulling the idea of voluntary pre-commitment to curb problem gambling rates. One American state is also considering a pokie bet limit system that will help players across the country control their spending. In Massachusetts, the state government is considering introducing a new voluntary pre-commitment system – according to a report in the Boston Globe.
When players sit down to a pokie machine, they will be given the option to set a limit on how much money they plan to spend that day. In return for setting a limit, they will receive loyalty points which can be redeemed at a later. The main difference between this pre-commitment system and the one that has been proposed here is that players receive a reward.
This certainly gives them more reason to set betting limits, and encourages them to do so. It incentivises safe gambling, which is a tactic that we have not yet seen in problem gambling initiatives. Judith Glynn, who proposed the plan set out an example. If a player sets a limit of $100, they will be reminded at $50, $75 and $90 that their limit is approaching.
Once the player loses $100, the machine will stop and inform the player that they have hit their limit. This would be the first time that such a system has been used in the United States to control problem gambling spending. It is being called ‘play management’, as it is a means of helping players reign it in when they tend to get carried away.
The gaming machine market in Massachusetts continues to grow, as the state will see several new gaming parlours open up within the next few years. As such, it is important that the state government steps up to take preventative measures in ensure that problem gambling rates do not climb along with the number of pokies in the state.
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