The Victorian government is working hard to do its part to curb problem gambling rates across the area. Just six months after banning ATMs in pokie venues, the local government has banned the use of pokies with headphones. The aim of the legislation is to ensure that players are alert so they can play responsibly, and local politicians are confident that it will bear positive results.
According to the Victorian government, headphones (or ‘audio isolation technology’) are dangerous for players. While it is important for game developers to create an immersive gaming environment for players, players who become too absorbed are likely to make uninformed decisions about their spending. This can lead players to chase losses, and lose more money than they had intended to spend while playing pokies.
“The sound of silence apart from a number of people sitting at their gaming machines literally plugged into them, is just something that we just find was fairly abhorrent,” says Victoria’s Gaming Minister Michael O’Brien. “It is something that we couldn't support as being a responsible gambling practice”. O’Brien believes that it is irresponsible on the part of gaming developers.
He feels that game designers that aim to isolate the player and cut them off from the outside world are not acting with players’ best interests at heart. It should be up to gaming firms to design hardware that encourages players to make responsible decisions, rather than allowing players to get too caught up in the gaming experience.
The news of the headphone ban comes just days after the Victoria government announced a $62 million decrease in pokies spending. The decline is the result of the ATM ban, which was enacted in June 2012. While it was simply a small legislative effort, it has had a hugely positive effect on Australia’s problem gambling spending. Local politicians are hopeful that this new initiative will bear a similar outcome.
About the Author
