Pokie reform laws were passed to benefit the local community. Betting limits and sinking lid policies were meant to curb problem gambling rates and help local residents. However, there is a group of residents that is losing out thanks to new pokie reforms, as pub owners in South Australia are unable to sell their licenses and some are facing bankruptcy. According to ABC News, hotel owner Jeff Tester is on the verge of financial ruin.
His poker machine licenses are worth $1 million and selling them could save his lifestyle. Unfortunately, South Australia’s strict gambling laws prevent him from doing so, because its sinking lid policy only allows for licenses to be traded at certain times every year. In New South Wales and Victoria, pub and club owners are permitted to sell pokie licenses at any time.
However, South Australia online allows trading rounds twice per year. Senator Nick Xenophon believes that South Australia’s trading laws are helping to maintain problem gambling rates. If clubs were able to offload licenses as they please, there would be fewer venues in South Australia with pokies. Players would have fewer pokie venues at their disposal and they would have no choice but to stop gambling.
“If you have to go quite a distance to find the new pokies venue, it actually makes dramatic a difference in problem gambling rates” Senator Xenophon argues. Relaxing pokie trading restrictions would benefit problem gamblers as well as pub owners like Jeff Tester. He states that his hotel will not attract buyers so long as there are pokies inside.
If he could get rid of the pokies, which have failed to turn a profit in several years, then he could find a buyer for the hotel. Unfortunately, he will have to wait until South Australia’s trading round begins later this year.
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