Gamblers must set a limit

Isabel Bird | Examiner Newspaper | 12 August 2021    

A pokie machine membership program, complete with benefits, will have a mandatory betting limit within its rules that is being touted as a harm minimisation measure by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission.

The “premium player” loyalty program will be offered at the Country Club and Wrest Point Casinos, across all pokie machines, and will require its members to set a limit on the amount of money that they are prepared to lose over a 12 month period.

Federal Group Executive general manager Daniel Hanna said pre-commitment builds on the strong harm minimisation measures already in place at the casinos.

“We are engaging with our premium player program members to implement the changes,” Dr Hanna said.

“The measures mean players can access a loyalty program similar to those run at casinos all over Australia, with the added player protections including the annual limit.”

The limit will be set by the gambler, must be “financially sustainable”, and will be assessed according to previous gambling history.

A statement from the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission (TLGC) said that if a player reaches the limit before the 12 months is up “they will be denied access to the program and any benefits that go with membership”.

The mandatory provision is the first of its kind in Australia, but while the program can be seen as well-intentioned it has been labelled a “baby-step” in the prevention of problem gambling.

Independent Nelson MLC Meg Webb said the scheme was limited to casinos, and will not help the vast majority of pokie users in Tasmania.

She said it would have minimal impact on pokie addiction across the state.

“While a mandatory pre-commitment scheme for casino premium player program members is a positive step for the limited number of players offered access to those programs, it won’t apply to the vast majority of pokies use in Tasmania which occurs in pubs and in normal pokies areas of the casinos,” she said.

“This is a baby-step when it comes to reducing harm from pokies addiction and simply doesn’t stack up when you compare it to the easy programming changes that would be guaranteed to make all pokies safer to use.

“Post-Covid, losses to pokies have shot right up to over $191 million, which is the highest level in at least five years. The scheme will be relevant to a small proportion of those losses.”

TLGC chair Jenny Cranston said the scheme would benefit gambling addictions, and create the strongest harm minimisation environment in Australia.

She said it was designed to give people information which enabled them to make informed decisions about how much money they were prepared to lose, and prevent them from chasing losses.

“In setting limits on gambling, the scheme will ensure that people spend what they intend to spend,” she said.

“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.

“We also know that for some players, machines can be addictive and chasing losses can see expenditure escalate very rapidly. Spending up to a realistic limit set by players in a rational and conscious manner before they start to gamble will assist them to avoid chasing losses and spending more than they can afford.”

See more poker machine information on Meg’s Pokies page