Measures adopted by the Australian government in an effort to combat addiction to poker machines came under fire in a report compiled by gambling experts and social organizations. A report recently issued by the West Heidelberg Community Legal Service claims that these measures do nothing but pacify the epidemic, coining them “band-aid solutions." According to the report, the government is leading citizens to believe that they are combating problem gambling, when they are in fact still making sure that their more than billion-dollar cut of gaming revenues goes untouched.

Instead of merely instituting a maximum quota for poker machines, as the government has done, the report holds that more stringent restrictions should be implemented. The report cites research demonstrating that just capping the number of pokies is an ineffective measure. Among the report's recommendations are implementing smartcards with predetermined time and spending limits, lowering the bet maximum to AUD$1 and installing on-screen records of how much a player has won or lost.

Source:  Poker777 Staff

Monday, 22 August 2005