Ballarat City Council is in the process of deciding on new poker machine licenses, and councillors are considering imposing stricter regulations on the pokie industry and the games themselves. According to a report on ABC News, the council is concerned about the lack of pokie regulations and is thinking about imposing new guidelines.
It was recently announced that Bridge Mall traders have expressed their concern about the potential to install pokies in the shopping centre. The traders’ association wishes to keep poker machines out of Bridge Mall, as they can pose a threat to vulnerable individuals such as problem gamblers and underage players.
A shopping centre is one of the last places that one would expect to see pokies; so, individuals who are hoping to get away from the game would be in for a pleasant surprise. Since the Ballarat City Council is growing concerned about poker machine regulations, it is likely that councillors will take the traders’ opinions into consideration.
Harm Reduction is becoming increasingly important in the local gambling market, and allowing poker machines in the local shopping centre would be counterproductive if the council wants to reduce problem gambling rates in the city. Council members also believe that having stricter guidelines would strength court cases against poker machine operators.
Often times, the council will be taken to court if it attempts to prevent an operator from installing pokies at a certain property. In the past, the council has lost many of these court cases. Should the council impose stricter rules, then it will have more leverage, and it will be able to stop pokies from being installed in areas where they would be considered harmful to the community.
It is encouraging to see a city council taking such proactive steps to reduce gambling harm. We hope to see Ballarat impose new harm reduction measures in the future.
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