ACT Delays Mandatory Pre-Commitment Trial

Earlier this month, the Australian Capital Territory was preparing to launch a pokie reform trial, testing mandatory commitment software on local pokies. Everything seemed to be going according to plan – until recently, when Clubs ACT decided to delay the trial for at least seven months.

Last week, 23 members of Clubs ACT voted on the trial. They unanimously decided to postpone the trial until after the federal election which will take place in September. The federal Opposition is against the trial, and the pokie organization feels that it could potentially be a waste of resources to begin the trial before the election.

“It would be a folly to expend the money and resources on starting the trial if it was only going to be cut halfway through by an incoming coalition government,” says Jeff House, head of Clubs ACT.

MP Andrew Wilkie, who fought hard to have pokie reform passed on a federal level, is not pleased with this turn of events. Sources have claimed that he feels ‘betrayed’, as both local and federal politicians have failed to keep their promises regarding the implementation of pre-commitment software.

At this rate, mandatory pre-commitment technology may never get a fair chance. If it does, it is unlikely that the trial will take place before 2015.