The game may be over for mandatory pre-commitment in Australia.
The proposed trial of pre-commitment – under which a player is compelled to commit to a fixed loss in advance of playing gaming machines – was due to start early next year in Australian Capital Territories, Canberra, in practice.
But a parliamentary deadlock now threatens the entire process. The federal government of Julia Gillard had agreed to set up the trial, in a payoff deal with smaller parties and independents, in order to secure power for her coalition government.
February had been set aside for the start of the trial, but talks between the authorities and Clubs ACT, the trade association for the members’ clubs in the territory, have stalled while the coalition seeks parliamentary support for the fresh legislation.
The Green Party and independent Nick Xenophon, who together want strong action to tackle what they see as ‘problem gambling’ may vote down the bill in the Senate. A parliamentary stalemate has ensued, which Jeff House, CEO of Clubs ACT, feels could push the start date of the trial back to the second half of 2013 – around the time of a federal election. An election would likely result in different political influences being brought to bear on the whole subject.
“Every day that passes means that the trial is looking more unlikely. I am waiting for Parliament to pull its collective finger out of its collective ****,” he told news services.
The gaming machine manufacturers have already warned that online machines would not be ready for such a trial until 2014.
A Gambling Reform Bill is on the way, but its details have been hampered by another anti-gambling politician, Andrew Wilkie, insisting that a trial of MPC should be written into it.
