In Queensland, politicians want to remove some of the red tape that seems to be holding back local pokie clubs. However, residents believe that this tape is here for a reason, protecting locals from the potential harm that can come from having unrestricted access to the gambling market. As such, they have rejected many of the newly proposed amendments to local gambling laws, which would allow players to gamble more.
Last week, Premier Campbell Newman revealed the details of a discussion paper on the topic of relaxing Queensland’s gambling laws. While you would normally expect Australian residents – who are well-known for their affinity for gambling – to support the changes, many have not taken too kindly to them.
The changes to the gambling laws would allow pokie clubs and other non-casino gambling venues to remain open on public holidays. These include Good Friday, Anzac Day and Christmas Day, the few holidays that require the city to shut down each year. According to the discussion paper, the city would also benefit from increasing betting limits, so players could wager more on poker machines.
Premier Newman believes that these changes will cater to a more diverse set of players, especially high roller players from Asia. These types of tourists do not observe the same holidays and certainly have a taste for bigger bets, so the relaxed laws were certainly determined with these players in mind.
While the amendments would have a positive impact on the state’s tourism and gambling revenue, they would have negative social consequences. The rest of the country is working hard to reduce problem gambling rates by limiting players’ wagers, and Queensland’s strategy is likely to have the opposite effect. As such, local residents have expressed their displeasure with the results of Newman’s discussion paper.
The issue will be taken up by local councils, and we keep you updated as the situation develops.
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