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The ACT government will introduce what it describes as the single largest package of reform in Australia to try to reduce the harm caused by poker machines. But opinions are divided on whether the suite of proposed new rules are too strict, too relaxed or too ineffective.

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00:05Betting big on short and long term change.
00:08We want to change the culture in the ACT, that it is not normalised that when you go
00:13to a club or a venue that you see the machines there.
00:16The government will table a suite of changes to existing poker machine laws.
00:20They include cashless account gaming across venues, bans on FPOS and ATM withdrawals,
00:26mandatory breaks in play and reducing the total number of machines to 1,000 by 2045.
00:33The reform package she's announced is far broader in scale than we're anticipating,
00:38which is pleasing, but that said, there are some weaknesses.
00:43For some, the proposals are too lax.
00:45It's a reform package that has continued to prioritise the gambling industry over the community.
00:52For others, they're too strict.
00:53I'm just really concerned that we're going to reach a situation whereby Queenbeyan becomes
01:00Las Vegas and that we just lose a lot of clubs here in the ACT.
01:04And that would then have a major impact in terms of club revenue, while still leaving
01:09the ACT community with a gambling harm issue.
01:11The opposition and club sector want the ACT to link up to NSW regulations, including an
01:17existing central monitoring system and a future plan for a statewide exclusion register.
01:22But the government believes its proposals should be supported now.
01:26Now we're in a position to be able to legislate it and this will be a game changer for Canberra.
01:34The changes will be introduced into the Legislative Assembly later this week.
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