Last week, South Australian politicians announced their new plan to reduce the number of poker machines in the state. The new system would categorize venues into ‘major’ and ‘minor’ clubs and is being touted as a harm minimization method – but Senator Nick Xenophon, a known responsible gambling advocate, is not convinced. Senator Xenophon recently released a press release on his website, condemning the plan.

He calls it a "cosmetic con job at best” and believes that it will only help to increase problem gambling rates across SA. First, he denounces the provision that allows clubs to increase their pokie numbers to 60 so long as they introduce responsible gambling measures, such as voluntary pre-commitment. Xenophon admits that voluntary pre-commitment has been designed to fail by the federal government.

So, gaming clubs are being given the option to add new pokies without taking adequate precautions. The second part of the plan gives clubs the option to downgrade the number of pokies to 20 or less. These clubs will not be allowed to derive the majority of their profits from pokies – and they will not be required to implement any harm minimisation strategies.

He has also taken issue with this provision. Although the clubs are classified as ‘minor’, players can still lose thousands of dollars on pokies. As such, these games should also come equipped with the same responsible gambling tools.

"If the Government accepts there should be on-screen warning messages and a Responsible Gambling Agreement for 'major' venues, surely players in a 'minor' venue deserve the same protections,” says Senator Xenophon. A bet limit of $5 will be introduced, which also fails to encourage responsible gambling.

According to studies, introducing a $1 per spin limit will reduce problem gambling spending without causing financial distress to pokie clubs. $5 limits are currently the norm throughout the country, so very little will change when South Australian introduces its new pokies 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.