The past two years has seen MP Andrew Wilkie at odds with the Gillard government over imposing mandatory pre-commitment in the country’s poker machine market. After months of negotiation, the two parties agreed on legislating a voluntary pre-commitment trial in Canberra. It was not what Wikie ideally had in mind, but it was close enough for him to feel as though something was being done to curb problem gambling rates.

Now, a dark shadow of doubt has been cast over the likeliness of the trial ever taking place. Jeff House of ClubsACT has spoken with the Sydney Morning Herald about his thoughts on the pokie reform trial. He is not optimistic about the trial taking place, as he claims there is not enough time to set up the machines. Over half of the pokies would need to be modified and the remainder would have to be replaced.

As such, it would take longer than a few months for the state to get prepared for the trial. The initial plan was to pass the legislation and launch the trial by February 2013. However, the government has stalled the progression of the project.

Pokies manufacturers stated that they would need at least one year to outfit the games with the necessary technology, which would mean the earliest the trial would be able to take place – at this point – is the end of next year. House will be meeting with the Department of Families and Community Services to discuss the trial; however, he is cynical about the result.

As an election approaches, he does not believe that the government will attempt to pass the legislation. Other groups believe that House is simply passing the buck. The Greens, who prefer $1 betting limits over the trial, state that ClubsACT is responsible the stalling of the reform. However, MP Andrew Wilkie blames The Greens for their unwillingness to support the voluntary pre-commitment trial.

The situation has become convoluted and it no longer seems as though a pokie reform trial would be beneficial for the local community.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.