A NSW club industry code of conduct has been welcomed by Premier Dominic Perrottet, though he says it won't deter him from introducing cashless gaming, in the face of fierce resistance.
Canberra’s clubs sector is prepared to work as an industry with the ACT Government on reviewing the proposed $5 bet and $100 credit limits for poker machines and centralised monitoring system, ClubsACT CEO Craig Shannon said, but has some reservations.
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) has called the ACT Government’s proposed cap on poker machine bet and credit limits, and introducing a central monitoring system, “a significant step towards reducing gambling harm in the Canberra community”.
Every year, Canberrans spend $2 billion on poker machines – and an estimated 44,000 people have been harmed by gambling. But that could be less of a problem if the ACT Government’s proposed reform of poker machines goes ahead.
Community clubs across Canberra have received government funding to reduce their reliance on pokies and fund other revenue stream initiatives, Gaming Minister Shane Rattenbury said today.
Of the 49 ACT clubs, hotels and taverns offering gambling poker machines on-site in October 2017, just three venues have since gone pokie-free, according to data from the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.
Poker machine reforms that would have seen a bet limit reduction and machine load limits for punters have been voted against in the ACT Legislative Assembly today.
More than $1 billion has been saved in poker machine losses across pubs and clubs Australia-wide since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
In a statement on 22...
