In the Australian Capital Territory, local politicians are considering a way to reduce poker machine numbers while continuing the benefit gaming clubs. While the proposal is aimed creating a compromise for club owners, Clubs ACT is not entirely thrilled with the plan. The proposal provides club owners with the opportunity to trade pokies between venues.
Currently, this is not allowed, and games are only allowed to be transferred if they belong to the same owner. Club owners appreciate the freedom that this would provide; however, the new scheme comes with some drawbacks, such as the potential introduction of a levy for each poker machine. Additionally, club owners are not on board with the fact that some machines would have to be surrendered whenever a trade occurs.
"It's about giving back some flexibility over their machines,” says Gaming and Racing Minister Joy Burch. “But, it's also around a broader aim to reduce the number of machines in the territory.” According to Burch, the trading scheme was requested by the clubs industry. The government has complied by providing the opportunity to trade pokies, but it is natural that the clubs would also have to give up something in return.
Another drawback is a provision that would change the way in which pokie grants are distributed. Currently, clubs can decide which organizations receive funding from their pokie profits, but the new reform would change this so that the money would be put into a community fund. Clubs are not thrilled about this part of the reform, because it would mean that they cannot decide where their funding will go.
At the moment, clubs are required to donate up to 8% of their profits to local organizations. Last year, Canberra residents spent $181 million on pokies and the industry donated $12.9 to community groups and initiatives. With such a vast amount of money going to local organizations, club owners are reluctant to give up their say in which groups receive funding.
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