Manufacturers of poker machines (else known as slot machines) have voiced their discontent with the recent proposal for the implementation of a A$5 limit per spin in machines that are to be installed at Casino Canberra in the Australian capital.
Earlier this year, the government of the Australian Capital Territory introduced a legislation that allowed the Canberra-based gambling venue to add 200 poker machines to its gaming floor. The move would put an end to the long-standing gaming machine monopoly of local clubs.
The permission for the installation of pokies, as they are called Down Under, came with a A$5 spin limit that vexed and disturbed gaming machine manufacturers who believe that the limit is not feasible, particularly given the fact that it concerns only the casino in the ACT. Poker machines at clubs across the ACT feature a A$10 spin limit.
Speaking to local media, Gaming Technologies Association CEO Ross Ferrar has explained that the A$5 limit would require that unique games are developed for the poker machines that will be installed at Casino Canberra. However, the fact that the gambling venue would feature only 200 such machines makes the whole process financially unfeasible.
If eventually approved, the proposed legislation will result in the creation of a small casino jurisdiction with its own rules and within the larger ACT jurisdiction. Mr. Ferrar has said that the development of A$5 spin limit games for that jurisdiction will come at a cost that would be hard to sustain. The CEO of the association that represents Australia’s largest machine manufacturers proposed that either a A$10 spin limit is allowed for Casino Canberra or the A$5 spin limit is implemented at the ACT’s clubs. Currently, clubs across the territory feature 5,000 poker machines.
Another highly contested provision in the recently introduced bill called for the introduction of a mandatory pre-commitment scheme at the casino that would require players to reveal in advance how much they could lose by playing on poker machines over a 24-year period.
Mr. Ferrar has said that the scheme was “contrary to hospitality” and that it would actually have a negative effect on casino visitors rather than helping them control their urge to wager unreasonable amounts of money.
The details of the bill are yet to be refined and agreed on by the government. The addition of poker machines at Casino Canberra was a necessary prerequisite to a planned A$300-million-plus expansion of the gambling venue.
Casino Canberra’s Renovation Project
Investor group Aquis, owner of the Canberra gambling venue, announced back in 2015 a A$330-million scheme for the redevelopment of the Glebe Park precinct in the Australian capital. The project included the addition of five- and six-star accommodation options, retail space, and dining facilities. That plan also circled around the installation of 500 poker machines at the casino.
In 2016, the ACT government revealed that it would only support 200 poker machines. This past August saw the introduction of the above-mentioned bill, which showed that the government has remained firm on its stance.
Meanwhile, not much progress was seen on the project as it was said to be highly dependent on the addition of gaming machines. Yet, Casino Canberra owners have said earlier this year that they have remained committed to the scheme and that the planned expansion would include luxury accommodation facilities, a shopping mall, seven new dining facilities, and many more.
