Australia strengthens control over gaming

Kingston town in Victoria, Australia, will further regulate gaming operations under a national plan.

Australia.- Australian crackdown on gaming industry receives support from the Council of Kingston in Victoria. According to the local government, residents are losing millions of dollars on casino and poker services. Kingston has joined the federal program “Alliance for Gambling Reform,” which aims at reinforcing control over gaming operations.

“Ideally we wouldn’t have as many poker machines and ultimately one day we might not have any in the city of Kingston,” stated Mayor David Eden in an article by the Herald Sun. Kingston residents bet over US$179,157 per day on poker machines, positioning the town as one of the most gamblers of the region.

During a meeting earlier this week, the Kingston Council decided to invest US$19,138 in the subscription to the Alliance for Gambling Reform. “We have a clear direction to work with the operators within Kingston to try and phase those machines out moving forward,” explained the Mayor. The alliance is a joint consortium to prevent the spreading of gaming culture, as Herald Sun defines.

The local government showed concern about the players’ economic situation. “The loss comes from some of the most vulnerable groups in our community,” added Eden. “We are trying to work towards reforms that prioritise local residents over the profits of the large corporations that run these poker machine venues.”