Tasmania faces renewed pressure over poker machine reforms
The Tasmanian Government is facing renewed calls to strengthen its poker machine regulations, with gambling harm advocates urging the state to return to its original commitments on player protection.
Anglicare Tasmania and the Alliance for Gambling Reform announced on October 13 that they would press their case during parliamentary hearings in Hobart this week.
The latest dispute centres on Tasmania’s approach to reducing gambling losses in hotels and clubs, particularly its plans for stronger player controls.
Tasmania previously proposed a mandatory player-card system designed to give gamblers greater control over their expenditure and introduce enforceable spending limits.
The proposal attracted national attention because it would have represented a substantial change to how poker machines operate in Australian pubs and clubs.
Coordinator of Anglicare Tasmania’s Social Action and Research Centre Ginny Toombs said the mandatory pre-commitment card, originally committed to by the state government in 2022, is the gold standard of policy reform.
“Our research and frontline experience align closely with the recommendations of the government-commissioned Deloitte report,” she said.
“A mandatory pre-commitment card with default loss limits is the measure that would meaningfully minimise harm from poker machine gambling.
“Reducing harms caused by poker machine gambling will positively impact complex issues like domestic and family violence, poor mental health, crime rates, homelessness and poverty.
Gambling harm organisations have consistently argued that voluntary safeguards are insufficient to protect people experiencing gambling problems.
The latest intervention places further pressure on the government to explain whether its current approach delivers the same protections envisaged under its original policy.
The debate comes as other Australian jurisdictions pursue their own gambling reforms.
New South Wales has recently removed longstanding exemptions allowing hundreds of venues to operate poker machines during mandatory shutdown periods, while the ACT has introduced additional harm-minimisation measures.
The Tasmanian hearings will provide another opportunity to examine the effectiveness and implementation of the state’s proposed reforms.
For poker machine players, the central issue is whether spending controls will be mandatory and enforceable or depend on individuals choosing to activate them.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform maintains that Tasmania should return to its original commitment rather than adopt a weaker framework.
Australia has one of the most robust sports betting industries globally, although they are lagging behind when it comes to iGaming, with the country running a very unsuccessful ban, with 1000s of offshore online casinos targeting this market.
