This week, the ACT’s Legislative Assembly has passed a new bill that will reduce red tape for pokie clubs across the state. The new Gaming Machine (Red Tape Reduction) Amendment Bill 2013 aims to change the way pokie clubs in Canberra are regulated, making it easier for club owners to manage their games. Last year, Joy Burch, ACT Minister for Gaming and Racing, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ClubsACT.
Together, they decided upon a number of terms that would benefit gaming club owners across the Australia Capital Territory. Now, the Gaming Machine Amendment Bill follows up on the MoU, enacting new laws that ease the burden of operating poker machine clubs. Over the course of the past year, the ACT government conducted a review of the regulatory processes for gaming machine clubs in the state.
They investigated the way in which games are acquired by clubs and evaluated the effectiveness of these systems. During the evaluation, they determined a number of ways to make the regulation of ACT pokies simpler. “These changes will reduce the paperwork for clubs associated with applying to purchase machines, and applying for approval of financial arrangements over existing machines,” Ms Burch said in an interview with City News.
The legislation will see to it that pokie club owners will only have to complete a one-step process when they wish to apply for new games. The bill also makes it unnecessary for clubs to seek approval for the existing gaming machines during this process. Local politicians support the bill, but it is quite controversial among the general public.
Some residents have expressed concerns that pokie clubs need more regulations rather than having red tape removed. It is likely that there will be some backlash as news of the Red Tape Reduction Bill spreads.
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