Across Australia, state politicians have enacted some strict guidelines regarding poker machine licenses and pokie club locations to help reduce problem gambling rates. Now, the Newman government is taking a different approach by loosening up pokie laws in Queensland. New changes will give pokie venues in the state the ability to trade poker machine entitlements across the entire state.
Previously, there were only permitted to trade entitlements within a small area. In some areas, trading entitlements is not permitted at all. Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie states that this move will benefit smaller clubs.
“There is little justification in maintaining a system that potentially prevents struggling clubs, particularly in the regions, from divesting themselves of gaming machine entitlements, simply because of their geographical location,” says Mr Bleijie. Another change is the scrapping of the ‘near rule’, which stopped clubs from opening up additional premises until they were located within a close proximity to the original venue.
Now, the new rules will allow for clubs to open up satellite venues in areas that are a bit further away, which will allow them to take over smaller clubs and even open up venues in greenfield areas. Premier Campbell Newman denies that the changes will have a negative effect on the community and that they will not encourage a rise in problem gambling rates.
He also denies that the new laws will result in an increase in the number of poker machines across the state. The poker machine cap will not increase, so clubs cannot install more than 300 games in one venue and the total number of games in the state will not exceed 24 705. The Opposition supports the bill, and has called it a ‘sensible amendment’.
Representatives have noted that it is not an attempt by the government to increase the number of poker machines in the state, and so they will gladly vote in favour of it.
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