Gaming Minister Enver Erdogan has defended the State Government’s ”robust” pokies-card trial set to begin in Greater Dandenong in September.
The trial of mandatory carded-play on poker machines has been criticized by Alliance for Gambling Reform and Greater Dandenong Council for not including mandatory precommitment – which would force gamblers to preset loss limits.
The Alliance withdrew its support for the trial, declaring it a “complete waste of time” without mandatory precommitment.
In Parliament question time on 26 August, Erdogan said the trial “would be robust” but was “always going to have a phased approach”.
“We always said we would work with industry and the sector to make sure it can be implemented in a safe and sensible way.”
He said the trial was the “first of its kind”, with Victoria the only state with option of account or carded plays on all electronic gaming machines.
“This (trial) will mean that it will be compulsory for people to actually use the card. They will be able to set their own limits if they choose to do so.
“It is always about handing power back, and that is what will be done.”
Under questioning, Erdogan did not reveal a clear timeline for rolling out mandatory precommitment across the state.
“I do acknowledge that it is estimated that 300,000 Victorians experience harm because of gambling each year, costing Victoria $7 billion annually.
“The trial … is going to provide important information around the technology and about the take-up of the harm minimisation measures.
“It is about having the right guardrails in place.”
He stated the Government had got “runs on the board” by tightening venue opening times, slowing down spin rates and capping load-up limits at $100.
Currently, mandatory precommitment limits are in place only at Crown Casino poker machines.
The casino was recently reprimanded by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission for breaches of the requirement.
This included allowing customers to use gaming machines after they had reached their time or spend limits.
Ten customers were found to use a card linked to a YourPlay account that was not in their legal name.
‘Poker machines are a high-risk, high-harm product, which is why we place so much emphasis on holding industry to account when they fail to honour their legal and social licenses to protect customers from gambling harm,’ VGCCC chair Chris O’Neill said on 17 August.
‘Pre-commitment programs empower people to manage their gambling by making decisions, before they start gambling, about the amount of time and money they will spend.
‘Research has shown that well-designed pre-commitment systems with binding limits can be effective in preventing harm from poker machine use.“
