This week, ACT lawmakers introduced a legislation that would change the way in which pokies are traded between venues. While the bill aims to reduce the number of pokies across the state over time, Senator Nick Xenophon feels that there is more that can be done to curb gambling spending in the ACT.
According to a report in the Canberra Times, Xenophon is urging ACT politicians to launch an inquiry into poker machine limits. As part of his submission for the inquiry into the future of the clubs industry, he recommends a $1 limit per spin on poker machine. The limit would also prevent players from spending over $120 in a single hour.
Xenophon’s recommendation for pokie limits was one of 77 submissions made to ACT politicians. A significant portion of the submissions were actually from community groups, extolling the benefits of pokie funding. In fact, one submission from the Independent ATM Industry Group requested a reversal of the ATM withdrawal limit in clubs, which prevents players from withdrawing more than $250 per day.
The group noted that the withdrawal limit has caused players to enter pokie clubs with considerably more money than they did prior to the limit being imposed. As such, staff have a harder time identifying problem gamblers because they are not able to monitor which players are frequently heading for the cash machines. Another argument is that many patrons at clubs and pubs do not use the ATMs for gambling purposes.
According to the group, only 35% of all withdrawals are used for gambling – so, there does not seem to be a correlation between the availability of ATMs and problem gambling rates. "There is no evidence to suggest causality between access to ATMs and problem gambling," reads a statement from the group. With over 70 submissions, ACT lawmakers have plenty to review.
There are likely to be important changes in store for the local clubs industry, and we will keep you posted with any further details.
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