One of the reasons that gamblers become addicted to pokies is that they lose track of their time and spending. A new smartphone app has been developed by the Moreland City Council to help problem gamblers spend their time and money more responsibly. ‘Quit Pokie’ is an application that is available on iTunes, which sends players alerts about their gaming habits.
Players will be notified when they enter a pokie club and they will be sent reminders about how much time and money they have spent at the venue. Another great feature of the app shows the play other things that they could be doing with their time, such as meeting up with friends for coffee or going to a movie. When the player downloads the application, they will be prompted to identify locations where the commonly play pokies.
Using GPS technology, the app will know when the player has entered one such venue, and an in-app alarm will be triggered. Another notification alert which sounds similar to a text message will ring every 10 minutes until the player leave the venue. “What they need is for someone to tap them on the shoulder and tell them to get out of there,” says Susan Rennie of the North East Primary Care Partnership.
“I thought the phone could be that tap on the shoulder.” However, it should be noted that this app is only an effective tool for individuals who have already admitted that they have problems with losing control of their spending. Players who have not taken this first step will not benefit from the services that Quit Pokies provides.
So, there is still some onus on gaming club staff members and loved ones to push problem gamblers in the right direction. You can download the app for free from the iTunes marketplace.
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