The federal government may be making plans to reduce problem gambling rates across the country, but politicians in New South Wales want to increase the number of gambling opportunities for local residents. This week, NSW relaxed its gaming laws, allowing for casino-style games to be rolled out in over 690 clubs and pubs across the country. Previously, most clubs and pubs were only allowed to operate pokies.
Now, under the new rules, they will be allowed to offer electronic table games like blackjack and roulette. The new games are multi-player terminals, which allow several players to compete at once against each other and the electronic dealer. These games were previously prohibited in clubs with only a few poker machines, as the law dictated that casino game terminals could not make up more than 15% of the games offered at the venue.
Now, the law has been changed, removing this cap. However, the new multi-player terminals must be swapped for pokies. 690 clubs and pubs are eligible for the new machines as they have 33 poker machine entitlements. The areas with the highest concentration of eligible clubs are Randwick, Sutherland, Bankstown and Sydney.
While new games will be added into the state, Gaming Minister George Souris claims that there will be no change in the number of gaming machines that are permitted in NSW. So, while this deal may seem harmful upon first glance, the local government has kept the needs of residents in mind. However, the games are considered much more profitable than poker machines, so there is the potential for gambling spending to rise.
In games like roulette, blackjack and baccarat, players profits depend heavily on their wagers, so players are actually encouraged to spend more money. So, there is the potential for these games to cause more harm for problem gamblers.
About the Author
