Across Australia, gaming operators and players are excited to hear that Julia Gillard has thrown out the idea of implementing pokie reform this year. However, critics believe that the gambling’s industry influence on the decision sets a disappointing precedent for similar cases in the future.

According to Troy Bramston of The Australian, this case shows that lobbyists can have anything they want if they spend enough money on their causes: “Interest groups can force a government to do whatever they want if they are prepared to pay for it and to campaign for it”, he says in the opening paragraph of his article.

This could be a positive turn of events for the general public; however, there are few interest groups that have the resources to campaign so furiously for their causes. The gambling industry brings in millions of dollars every year, so it was in the perfect position to campaign against poker machine reform. And, it worked – Gillard gave in to the mounting pressure.

Television ads, rallies and lobbying efforts were enough to convince her government that poker machine reform should not be implemented in Australia.

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.