The Victorian government has spent the past year introducing harm reduction measures in the poker machine market. Thus far, the state’s initiatives have resulted in a decline in gambling spending, and Victorian politicians are implementing a new measure that will help to curb problem gambling rates even further. This year, a new legislation will introduce voluntary pre-commitment cards that will work with every poker machine in Victoria.

Players will be able to use them at clubs, pubs and casinos, and they will be able to limit their spending if they so choose. Intralot Gaming Systems will operate the new system. The company will ensure that the cards allow players to set betting limits while offering players the ability to take advantage of loyalty programs.

''This work will take into account the cost benefits of utilising common infrastructure and the need to maximise the benefits to players in terms of responsible gambling and consumer protection,'' says a spokesperson for the Gaming Minister. Coupling loyalty programs with pre-commitment is a novel idea, because it encourages players to actually use the cards.

Pokie players may be reluctant to opt in to pre-commitment programs, but attaching them to loyalty schemes will see to it that more players use the cards for their intended purposes. However, not everyone feels the same way. According to gambling research Charles Livingstone, this legislation would allow pre-commitment piggybacking on loyalty programs.

He feels that it lessens the importance of pre-commitment and discredits the idea that it could be an effective method of curbing problem gambling rates. Players’ spending data will also be used for marketing purposes, which Livingstone does not agree with.

Additionally, if the spending information is being used to create custom loyalty promotions for players, there is the chance that the program could encourage more players to gamble in the long run. This will be a very heavily debated issue in the Victorian gambling market. We will keep you updated with any further developments.

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.