Australian Capital Territory Greens criticise slowing of gaming machine reduction

Shane Rattenbury says there was a faster reduction when the Greens were in government.

Australia.- Shane Rattenbury of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Greens has criticised the Labor government’s announcement of an independent inquiry into how clubs can diversify income streams and reduce their reliance on gambling revenue. He criticised the slower reduction of gaming machines under the current government.

According to Rattenbury, the number of gaming machine licences in the state is projected to have decreased by 214 a year from 5,000 to 3,500 between 2018 and 2025 as a result of policy initiatives put forth by the Greens. In contrast, Labor has proposed a more gradual reduction, aiming to limit the number of licences to 1,000 by the year 2045 for an annual decrease of 125 licences.

Rattenbury said: “[The] announcement by Labor isn’t action, it’s delay disguised as progress. It has now been six months since the election, and all we have is an announcement that a tender will take place sometime in the future. We have no actual tender, no chair of the inquiry, and no detailed terms of reference.

“Given that at the end of last term, all parties agreed that a review was needed, and we are now six months along from the election, it begs the question of what the delay is? The fact is Labor’s approach slows poker machine reductions by a staggering 40 per cent as compared to the pace achieved by the Greens over the last seven years. 

“When the Greens were in the driving seat of gambling reform, machines were being pulled out faster — now, under Labor, progress is slowing dramatically.”

The independent inquiry announced by the government is due to start in the middle of this year. Authorities expect a report to be submitted in early 2026.

See also: Almost one in three under-18s in Australia gamble, study finds