The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is home to around 4,000 poker machines located at various licensed venues such as clubs, pubs and restaurants. These games remain immensely popular among both locals and visitors as they provide an engaging gaming experience. Casino Canberra serves as the territory’s premiere casino offering table games as well as slot machines. While popular among locals and visitors, poker machines are not considered safe by the community due to the potential for gambling addiction and other harmful behaviors; as a result the government is taking measures such as policy reforms in place in response.
Government will offer an incentive payment of $15,000 for every poker machine licence surrendered by licensees in Canberra. This move aims to reduce the number of machines, protecting vulnerable people from harm while at the same time helping reduce gaming revenues; however ACTCOSS remains concerned that more needs to be done.
A central monitoring system for poker machines would set $5 bet limits and $100 credit limits to reduce gambling losses by up to 25%; it is anticipated that such a system will be fully in place by 2024.
There is also a proposal to outlaw advertising for casinos and gaming companies on television and radio to prevent underage gambling, part of a comprehensive plan to reform Australia’s gambling laws. Advertising of such products is currently legal across all states except Victoria and Tasmania.
Australia stands apart from other nations by having one of the highest poverty rates, low wages and lack of financial education and skills. Therefore it is crucial that governments regulate gambling to set clear rules and set clear standards to safeguard citizens against its harmful effects; more stringent enforcement of existing regulations must also be implemented for effective protection of Australian citizens from gambling addiction.
Australia’s primary problem with gambling lies in its public lack of voice. The Australian Gaming Regulatory Authority (AGRA) lacks transparency while federal governments lack sufficient power to oversee the industry. Additionally, most people remain ignorant to both risks and benefits associated with gambling.
As public perception of gambling increases, it is critical that there are more options for responsible gambling. To achieve this goal, industry must promote awareness about both risks and benefits associated with gambling as well as invest in research to develop better tools to prevent gambling-related problems. Educating consumers about dangers related to gambling as well as providing assistance will increase participation while building the industry’s reputation as a responsible business – further contributing to increasing public perception that gambling-related problems exist in Australia. For this to occur successfully it must also be implemented by government.