Although pokie reform legislation mandates that all electronic gaming machines must be equipped with pre-commitment technology, responsible gambling advocates are still searching for effective ways to limit players’ spending. This week, a public forum heard many arguments in favour of imposing $1 betting limits on all poker machines. The Limit Pokies Losses Forum was held at the Northern Club in Launceston, Tasmania.

The event was hosted by Tasmania’s Green Party, which has supported $1 betting limits for quite some time. While the federal government negotiated over the terms of voluntary pre-commitment, the political party fought for $1 pokie limits. Even though voluntary pre-commitment has already been mandated, The Greens have not finished fighting for their cause.

Representatives from The Greens maintain that the group is not-anti gambling. They simply want to see the federal government impose effective safeguards that would prevent problem gamblers from overspending when they play pokies. "It's not about ending the fun”, said Kim Booth, spokesperson for The Greens. “If it's about fun, why not support a $1 bet limit and why not protect people?"

The proposed limits would prevent players from spending more than $1 per wager. The Greens estimate that it would save $350 million per year, and pokie operators would benefit less from problem gamblers. They maintain that the limits will not affect recreational players, and they will only deter problem gamblers from spending money.

$1 betting limits did not receive a great deal of support when they were first introduced – but The Greens hope that they can stir up more support this time around. The proposed policy will be presented in the House of Assembly in May 2013, so the party has at least a month to generate support for its plan to impose $1 betting limits on pokie machines across the country.

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.