Victoria’s mandatory closure period for gaming rooms in all clubs and hotels will be coming into effect from August 30. This will mean all venue operators will be prohibited from allowing gaming machines to be played from 4am and 10am every day, in all venues excluding casinos.
Victora Minister for Gaming Melissa Horne touted the mandatory closure periods will “provide an important break in play, so patrons can ‘get out of the zone’ and be more aware and informed about their behaviours”.
In Victoria, all gaming machines must be connected to an electronic monitoring system. The Monitoring Licensee (Intralot Gaming Services – IGS) will ensure gaming machines across all gaming venues are automatically turned off and on.
The new rule is part of the first tranche of the state government’s landmark gambling reforms.
“This change will affect full time jobs being lost in licensed clubs and now means that shift workers and local communities are inconvenienced by the club’s trading hours being restricted,” Andrew Lloyd chief executive Community Clubs Victoria (CCV) told Club Management.
“Clubs are committed to providing a sustainable and responsible offering of gaming products. Your local club is one of the safest places to enjoy gaming in an environment of trained staff, supervision, CCTV surveillance and a suite of other measures including the self-exclusion scheme.”
According to the CCV, for clubs that need to discuss workplace relations issues around rosters and staff arrangements, the Service Industry Advisory Group (SIAG) Legal hotline is available. If managers require any guidance or assistance concerning these matters, the SIAG national advisory line number is (03) 9644 1400.
Proposed ACT gaming amendments to shift club focus to housing
Gaming machine legislation is also look to change in the nation’s capital. ACT Labor recently promised that if it were to be re-elected in the upcoming October elections, it will seek to amend the Gaming Machine (Compulsory Surrender) Amendment Bill 2024 to cut the number of machines to just 1,000 machines in community club venues in the ACT by 2045.
This will be achieved by a mandated reduction of 500 machines every four years, through a compulsory surrender process.
ACT Labor stated that alongside the legislated compulsory reduction system, it would work with local community clubs to “move towards a more sustainable sector that delivers a long-term community benefit” by shifting their focus towards housing.
“A re-elected Labor government will provide a framework to support clubs to invest in sustainable revenue ventures as they reduce the number of pokies they operate,” ACT Labor stated.
“To further support housing supply in the Territory, a re-elected Labor government will establish practical ways for community clubs use their land assets to invest in appropriate housing projects, including affordable housing, aged care, and build-to-rent.
“The outcome will be more affordable housing in accessible locations across Canberra.”
In response to this proposal, ClubsACT chief executive Craig Shannon said the club industry was “blindsided” by the announcement.
“This policy has been developed in a vacuum with no consultation with the industry,” he said.
“The policy contains no tangible proposals on how to replace the revenue currently generated through poker machines, which is substantially returned to the community through financial support of sports and community groups. Any suggestion that low-cost and affordable housing developments by clubs will create an offset to these income losses is farcical.”
Other plans the ACT Labor has put forward includes encouraging the establishment of a so-called “club of the future”, a community club without gaming machines, in the Molonglo Valley; introducing mandatory, account-based cashless gaming in all ACT venues; and “stronger” self-exclusion scheme and the banning of ATMs and EFTPOS withdrawals in clubs.
“This policy lacks any impact analysis and what we will see over the term of these proposals is a retraction of the financial support clubs can currently provide to community sports and other groups across the ACT,” Shannon said.
“The potential over its full term may see the complete destruction of clubs as an industry across Canberra taking with it the large workforce employed in the industry and the social cohesion the industry provides in the ACT.
“Any suggestion that this proposal will assist minimising gambling harm is magical in its thinking is false and has no base of evidence,” continued Shannon.
“It will only encourage individuals with gambling issues to further migrate to online wagering or cross the border into NSW, thus avoiding the intervention pathways currently available in ACT Clubs where individuals exhibiting gambling issues can be identified and offered access to support an intervention pathways.”