Poker machine reform has recently been passed, as political parties across Australia have decided that equipping pokies with voluntary pre-commitment technology. While they have the best interest of Australian citizens at heart, poker machine owners and operators are not pleased with the terms that have been set out. Clubs Australia has planned to fight the reform, hiring its first-ever government relations adviser to campaign.

Shannon Gill, who had previously the same role at the Australian Football League, will be working at Clubs Australia in the fight against anti-gambling groups. His job will be to tackle the ‘misinformation’ that he government has communicated about poker machines and extoll the benefits that pokies have for the general public.

''We need a person on the ground in Victoria who can not only promote clubs' contribution but who can also correct some of the more outlandish claims of the anti-gambling lobby,'' says Josh Landis of Clubs Australia. Pokies are a significant source of revenue for a wide range community programs and organizations, especially sports clubs.

At Clubs Australia, the general consensus is that gambling reform will jeopardize the ability for many of these clubs to run successful. Members of the organization believe that a loss of pokies profits, as a result of reform, will lead to an increase in sports club membership fees and a decline in a membership.

The new government relations adviser will ensure that Australian residents are well-aware of the benefits that poker machines have for the general public. In addition, Gill will also set out dismiss many of the potentially false claims that the government has made about the negative impact of pokies as well as the potential benefits of voluntary pre-commitment. However, this campaign is unlikely to go over well in the public eye.

Citizens have already backed the plan to introduce voluntary pre-commitment technology, as it aims to protect them from spending more than can afford when they visit the local casino or pokies club. So, Clubs Australia certainly has its work cut out for it this time around.

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.