Today’s passing of the amended National Gambling Reform Bill 2012 in Australia has been welcomed by the nation’s clubs.
They believe it is a vast improvement on that which was proposed several weeks ago and is substantially different to the original proposals. The amendments provide clubs with a much needed additional two years to install the required technology on their poker machines.
The extension will go a long way to ensuring the majority of clubs are able to continue operating their poker machines without being in breach of the law through no deliberate fault of their own.
Registered clubs have publicly supported voluntary pre-commitment on poker machines for some time. That support is based on a belief that voluntary pre-commitment is a useful tool for helping recreational gamblers stick to limits. Expert opinion is overwhelmingly of the view that the most effective way of helping a problem gambler is through a combination of counselling and self exclusion.
Clubs Australia will examine the detail of the amended legislation in coming days and then seek to work with the federal government in relation to regulations to be made and definitions to be set on voluntary pre-commitment and limitations on ATM bank withdrawal limits. In many regional areas, club ATMs are the only ATMs. It is important that these communities are not overly inconvenienced by this restriction, says Clubs Australia.
