In 2012, the Victorian government introduced a legislation that banned cash machines from all poker machine venues. Initially, the ban seemed to have a positive effect on problem gambling rates – but, two years, later, gambling spending continues to increase. According to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation, poker machine spending has been on the rise.
Areas like Bendigo, Hume and Geelong have seen the sharpest increases in gambling losses over the course of the past year. After the ban was enacted, pokie spending dropped to the lowest it had been since 2005. Players had spent $2.49 billion on pokies, which was a 6.9% decline from the previous year.
The decline was attributed to the ATM ban, as players were discouraged from chasing losses and spending more money than they could afford on pokies. Now, pokie spending is steadily rising. In November 2013, each area of Victoria saw a significant increase in spending. Melbourne was the biggest increase, as players spend $32.2 million on pokies from July to November 2013, compared to $30.6 million over the same period in 2012.
Responsible gambling campaigners believe that the ATM ban was only a short-term, band-aid solution. Eventually, players would figure out that they should simply bring more cash with them to the pokie club. Players were also informed that they could withdraw cash using the EFTPOS systems. As such, they have suggested new solutions to help curb gambling spending in Victoria, including a $1 bet limit on poker machines.
This would ensure that players could not spend more than $120 on pokies in an hour. Unlike the ATM ban, there would be no way for players or venues to circumvent the limit – and it is considered to be a much more effective method.
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