Across Australia, the Greens have worked hard to enact pokie reform and reduce gambling harm. While the party has not yet convinced federal politicians that this is the best way forward, the Greens have set their sights on local state governments. Recently, the Tasmanian Greens have started a campaign to phase out Federal Hotel pokies across the state.

According to MP Kim Booth, the Tasmanian Greens want to start a fund that would phase out pokies in hotels over the course of the next five years. The Pokie Transition Adaptation Fund would help to withdraw the exclusive license that Federal Hotels holds to operate more than 3600 pokies in clubs, pubs and casinos across the state.

“We will create a Pokie Transition Adaptation Fund to receive the money that’s currently lining the pockets of the monopoly holder Federal Hotels,” says Mr Booth. The idea behind the fund is that it aims to make pokie providers less reliant on profits derived from gaming machines. This will help them transition into venues that do not offer poker machines or any other gambling activities to their clients.

If the Greens can phase out Federal Hotels’ gaming machines, they could make Tasmania pokie-free. Pokie numbers have already dropped significantly since 2013. The Greens want to take things one step further by eliminating the games completely over time. While the plan is admirable, it is likely going to experience resistance from industry insiders and fans of the games, who enjoy playing pokies for fun.

Federal Hotels has held an exclusive license on poker machines in Tasmania for years, and it does not expire until 2018. So, it is unlikely that the group will be on board with getting rid of any of its gaming in order to cash in on funding from the Pokie Transition Adaptation Fund. The Group has not yet responded to The Greens’ plan.

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.