MP Andrew Wilkie is known across Australia for his work in attempting to introduce pokie reform measures. His previous efforts were fruitless but he has not given up hope, as he has just introduced another bill to introduce $1 betting limits on poker machines across the country.
The last time Wilkie proposed these measures was in November 2014. In addition to the $1 betting limits, he urged lawmakers to introduce a $250 withdrawal limit on ATMs at gaming venues and mandatory pre-commitment. Players would be limited to wagering only $1 per spin. Pokies would be limited to paying out jackpots of no more than $500, and accepting notes no higher than $20.
Since then, The Greens have not stopped campaigning for $1 betting limits on poker machines. The political party has campaigned in various states to encourage lawmakers to pass laws that would limit the amount of money that players can spend per spin when playing pokies. However, the group has been unsuccessful so far.
There is no word yet on whether or not Wilkie’s bill will contain the same stipulations as last time, but it is unlikely that there will be many changes. His goal remains the same: to reduce the potential harm of playing pokies by limiting how much players can stand to lose in a single session. Mandatory pre-commitment would also help to reduce harm by requiring players to set their own limits.
Before they can place wagers, players will have to decide how much money they will spend and once they have wagered that amount, they will no longer be able to play. This measure saw some success, and was supposed to be trialled on some pokies across the country – but, it was ultimately scrapped.
While tabling the bill, Wilkie also called out politicians for possibly allowing party donations to cloud their judgement on the issue of pokie reform. This is not the first time he has made these accusations. In 2012, he suspected that MPs would vote against pokie reform laws because their parties receive donations from gaming operators across the country.
Wilkie said: “Many members will indeed vote against them because those members are effectively on the payroll of the industry on account of the fat donations they’ve received already, or have been promised”. There is no telling how successful he will be this time around.
We expect that he will see support from other responsible gambling campaigners like The Greens – but there is always the chance that this bill will go the way of his last pokie reform effort.
About the Author
