The gambling industry in Canberra is undergoing an overhaul, and we are seeing many changes being made to local laws that govern pokie entitlements. While the new laws benefit clubs and aim to reduce problem gambling, hotels are critical of the amendments. Under the new laws, hotels across the ACT have been prohibited from upgrading their pokies.
New laws exclude them from updating their outdated class-B pokie machines while clubs and pubs have access to more modern class-C games. There are 68 class-B pokies in hotels across the ACT and upwards of 5000 class-C games in other gambling venues. As such, hotels feel as though they are being left behind in an ever-advancing gaming market.
"Essentially, hotels have been completely locked out of getting access to modern gaming technologies with clubs favoured by the ACT government over hotels,” says Brad Watts, General Manager of the ACT chapter of the Australian Hotel Association. Mr Watts also notes that this is exclusive to only two states in the country.
The only other state that imposes these restrictions is Western Australia, where hotels and taverns are prohibited from accessing the same type of modern pokies that are available in clubs. Some machines in ACT hotels are up to 25-years-old. Many of them are so old that the manufacturers no longer have the spare parts available to perform repairs.
Hotels have the options of selling their entitlements or continuing to operate the games. Upgrading them is not an option, and it could force players to seek out more modern gaming in other venues. According to the Canberra Times, this could result in job losses.
Hotels receive concessions from their gaming profits and selling off their games or losing business may cause these venues to make job cuts, putting many locals out of work.
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