Poker Machine Reforms On the Agenda

Good news for Australian poker fans and gamblers.  The PM will be meeting with Andrew Wilkie in Holbart this weekend, to discuss the mandatory pre-commitment schemes which were first tabled in 2010.

Under the reforms, players of “pokies” would be required to set limits to the amount of gambling that they would be allowed to do each month.  The idea was that the limits would act as a self-control mechanism for problem gamblers.

However, implementing the pre-commitment scheme would be expensive for poker machine manufacturers, and would also cause problems for clubs that use the machines.  Opponents to the scheme believe that it would harm the clubs, but would not actually help those who suffer from gambling addiction.

When the PM meets with Mr Wilkie, they will discuss the details of the legislation.  It is unlikely that the legislation will be scrapped, but the talks will cover details such as how the pre-commitment cards will be managed, how the limits will be set, and how to minimise the expense to those who would otherwise be hit hard by the legislation.

If the legislation is going to be introduced, it’s good to know that the complaints are being considered seriously.

Tags