Bid to cut losses on pokies

MEMBERS of casino premium pokies programs will be required to put annual limits on their losses under a new scheme unveiled by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission.  

It is the first time in Australia that mandatory precommitment has been required for electronic gaming machine players.

Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission chair Jenny Cranston said players wishing to join the casino’s premium player loyalty program will need to set a limit on the amount of money they are prepared to lose in a 12-month period. The amount would be based on their previous gaming history and players will need to declare the amount is financially sustainable.

If they reach the limit within 12 months, they will be denied access to the program and any benefits that go with membership.

“We know that people generally underestimate the amount of money they lose when gambling so having actual data on losses should assist players to set realistic gambling limits,” she said.

Independent MLC for Nelson Meg Webb has long campaigned against the negative impacts of poker machines. She said it was a positive first step, but was very limited in scope.

“It won’t apply to the vast majority of pokies use in Tasmania which occurs in pubs and in the normal pokies areas of the casinos,” she said.

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