There are a number of gambling safeguards in place, which prevent players from overspending while playing pokies. One such precaution is the use of coin-operated pokies, which help to limit players’ spending. Now, Jupiters Casino is doing away with all coin-operated poker machines, opting for a cashless gambling system.
The shift to coinless gambling is part of Echo Entertainment’s $50 million upgrade for its machines at Jupiters Casino. $20 million of that total will be spent on replacing coin-operated. Currently, less than a quarter of the games at the casino are cashless, and the operator aims to ensure that the vast majority of its pokies operate using cards.
Echo Entertainment states that the decision to replace coin-operated pokies was based on the requests of players. Representatives of the company claim that players requested a cashless gambling system, because it is becoming a popular trend in the Australian gambling market. While this may be what players want, it does not seem to be what is best for them.
According to responsible gambling advocates, doing away with coin-operated machines will enable players to spend more money on pokies and could lead to an increase in problem gambling rates across. Problem gambling expert Dr. Charles Livingstone states that players are likely to spend an extra $200 million on pokies if a cashless system is introduced.
"The gaming industry knows that the less gamblers touch money, the more they lose," Dr. Livinstone says. “You can expect more marriage breakdowns, more people losing their business and more crime on the Gold Coast from this change." Despite the backlash, Jupiters Casino is going ahead with the installation of the new games.
There is no word yet on when the replacements will take place but, in the meantime, a number of protests are likely to take place. Pokie reform legislation has just been passed, as politicians want to reduce gambling spending. Cashless gambling will boost spending, counteracting the effects of reform.
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