For years, problem gambling has been an issue among Australians. Many local residents have found themselves spending unhealthy amounts of money on poker machines, and problem gambling organizations believe that gambling reform is the key to rectifying the situation. ClubsACT has volunteered to run a trial of mandatory pre-commitment software, but working out the details is not going smoothly.
While ClubsACT and the Gillard government negotiate the terms of the pre-commitment trial, The Greens are lobbying for $1 betting limits on all poker machines. With political parties incapable for coming to a decision, the process of implementing poker machine reform has been slow. The Greens have made a number of demands. First, it wanted all machines to be ready to impose $1 betting limits at the flick of a switch.
After this was deemed unfeasible, they asked that all new poker machines be equipped with $1 betting limits. Even if all parties come to an agreement, it will be a year before any reform is enacted. Gaming machine manufacturers need upwards of 12 months to equip machines with the necessary software – and they cannot begin the process of doing so until a reform solution is agreed upon.