The Gillard government has recently agreed to launch a trial of pre-commitment for poker machines; however, it is entirely likely that the trial may delayed until 2014 rather than starting in 2013 as was originally planned. The main issue is that the technology for pre-commitment will not be ready in time to start the trial by next year; as a result, a national rollout of the technology may not take place for at least a decade.

Since there are dozens of different types of poker machines, software developers will have to do a great deal of work in order to outfit the machines with pre-commitment software. They will have to first be tested before being upgraded, a process which is estimated to cost $100 000 for each machine.

Anti-gambling activists will be disappointed to hear the news, as Andrew Wilke and Nick Xenophon have worked hard to ensure that some sort of gambling reform would be implemented this year. Now, the only changes to local gambling laws will consist of a trial that will not begin for another 2 years.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.