South Australia reduces maximum pokie bet

The measure that started on the first day of the year establishes that the maximum wager that can be placed in South Australia has been cut in half.

Australia.- Pokie players in South Australia can now only place AUS$5 bets on gambling machines, half of what they normally could in the past. Even though it’s a significant cut from what they could actually bet, several people still believe that the decrease isn’t enough.

Video gambling machines that do not comply with the new limit will be automatically cut off, whilst an additional 500 machines are set to be shut off by the government in the next few weeks. Zoe Bettison, Communities Minister, said: “By reducing the maximum bet limit, we hope to reduce the amount problem gamblers can lose while they are gambling.” Bettison believes that the gambling activity is turning a lot of citizens into addicts and that the new rules are going to help with how they handle the issue.

People who are against the video gambling machines believe that they should keep reducing the maximum wager that can be placed to just AUS$1, a limit that was recommended by the Productivity Commission back in 2010, when they said that it would reduce the impact that it has on society. Last week, South Australia Senator Nick Xenophon said that the gaming industry will go through a very unhappy year whilst they’re planning a stricter control.

South Australian casinos have been experiencing the government’s controls undertaken by former Supreme Court Justice Tim Anderson since early December, whilst okie and slots machines installed in clubs and pubs will also go under stricter regulations. The decision may lead to further expansion of online gambling services and the deterioration of the industry, as Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne said. “There are potential reforms in the gaming space that can work to strengthen the industry, while also improving responsible gaming outcomes,” stated Horne.