The surrender program offered venues AU$15,000 for each machine authorisation surrendered, or AU$20,000 per machine if they gave up all authorisations. Some 28 venues participated. The Vikings Group <\/strong>and Canberra Southern Cross Club Group<\/strong> each surrendered 40 machines, while the Canberra Raiders Sports Club Group<\/strong> surrendered 38. Two venues, The Statesman Hotel<\/strong> in Curtin and The Canberra Bowling Club <\/strong>in Forrest, surrendered all of their gaming machine licences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for gaming reform, Marisa Paterson<\/strong>, said: “The government has met its commitment to reduce poker machine authorisations in the ACT to 3,500 by 1 July 2025, and we remain dedicated to further reducing that number to 1,000 by 2045.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I commend the licensees who have embraced the opportunity to participate in the voluntary surrender scheme. This is a crucial step in diversifying their revenue streams away from a reliance on revenue from electronic gaming machines. It’s especially pleasing to see some venues taking the opportunity to go pokie-free, providing great examples to the community and club sector that there is a strong future for clubs without machines.”<\/p>\n\n\n She added: “The ACT Government remains committed to reducing gambling-related harm, and we will continue working with local clubs to build a sustainable industry – one that fosters community connections without depending on gambling revenue.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n In April, the ACT Government approved the establishment of an independent inquiry<\/a> to examine how clubs can diversify their revenue streams and reduce reliance on gambling revenue. The independent inquiry is due to start in the middle of this year. The government expects a report to be submitted in early 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Minister](\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/asia-pacific\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/04\/210331_CN_MarisaPaterson_002-e1619500328696-900x575.png\")