The gambling industry is now actively seeking to get the Government to back-flip …  a number of gambling industry bodies opposed introducing a system to allow gamblers to set limits on how much they are willing to lose…

At the start of June the Victorian Parliament passed legislation that will require all pokies to allow gamblers to set limits on how much they can lose (known as pre-commitment) by 2015. In the Parliament the Government also stated that:
·         It would aim to have pre-commitment on all pokies by 2013;
·         Pre-commitment on pokies in venues must be linked by 2013 and across the state by 2015-2016 provided the costs are not prohibitive;
·         Gamblers will have access to their gambling history by 2015-2016 through the pre-commitment system; and
·         Gamblers will set their own consequence for reaching their pre-commitment limit, but if it is a lock out period it must apply on all pokies with the one method of access to the pre-commitment system provided the cost is not prohibitive to implement.

This goes further than any other State or Territory in Australia with regards to pre-commitment on pokies. It means gamblers will be able to set a limit on how much they are willing to lose and set a consequence for hitting their limit (such as a minimum period that the pokies lock them out from being able to further gamble).

A less robust system of setting limits already exists in Canada and it has been shown to allow gamblers greater control over their losses, offering some assistance in reducing problem gambling behaviour.

The gambling industry is now actively seeking to get the Government to back-flip on its announcement. A number of gambling industry bodies opposed introducing a system to allow gamblers to set limits on how much they are willing to lose in submissions they made to the current Productivity Commission inquiry into gambling.

Please send urgent e-mails to:

The Hon John Brumby
Premier
E-mail: john.brumby@parliament.vic.gov.au
Salutation: Dear Premier

The Hon. Tony Robinson
Minister for Gambling
E-mail: tony.robinson@parliament.vic.gov.au
Salutation: Dear Minister

Your local state MP which can be found at the Victorian Electoral Commission website: http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/districts.html

Points to make in your e-mail:

- Thank the Government for promising to introduce an effective system to allow pokie gamblers to set limits on how much they are willing to lose on the pokies, especially in light of the opposition from parts of the pokies industry to such a system.
- Seek assurance that the Government intends to ensure that the system will be effective by:
- being easy for gamblers to use;
- will link all machines together, so that it will not be possible to override a limit the gambler has set simply by moving to another machine;
- that it will allow for at least 24 hours before a limit can be increased upwards; and
- that it will not be possible for a gambler to keep gambling when they reach a limit they have set by simply exiting the system.
- Point out it is essential for the system to ensure that decisions made by a gambler before they start gambling to set limits on their gambling cannot be overridden or circumvented by later decisions in the heat of a session.