ACT residents have access to over 4,000 poker machines located at clubs and pubs throughout the territory, providing an enjoyable way to spend their days. While some find these pokies addictive, others seek alternatives; one solution may be playing at an online casino that provides exciting payouts and bonuses while also featuring mobile functionality that lets players access their favourite games whenever the urge hits.
Canberra’s casino offers more than just table games for patrons to enjoy, such as a restaurant and nightclub. Though smaller than many Australian casinos and lacking hotel rooms, Canberra offers gamblers of all skill levels and financial means an array of gaming options like pai gow, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, sic bo and pontoon – as well as hosting roulette tournaments where gamblers compete for prize pools.
The Australian Capital Territory government recently granted Casino Canberra permission to add 60 fully-automated table games and 200 poker machines, much to the displeasure of gambling opponents who fear that these new machines will lead to addiction. Monash University gambling expert Charles Livingstone describes them as potentially risky devices that allow for continuous, faster gambling sessions; should other clubs follow suit, more terminals may demand similar approval as well.
Gamblers using new machines at the casino will be required to specify in advance how much they are willing to lose over 24 hours, in what has been termed Australia’s first mandatory pre-commitment scheme. This differs significantly from clubs which set maximum losses per machine; plus ACT laws place greater emphasis on community awareness programs, education and outreach services.
ClubsACT supports the ACT government’s goal to reduce poker machines to 3,500 by 2025 as being unsustainable in the long term. ClubsACT believes this reduction should take place at for-profit venues rather than at venues that return profits directly back into community charities, contributing 0.75 percent of revenue towards a problem gambling fund. Mr Shannon stated this was also unsustainable.
He noted that any reduction in poker machine profits would significantly hinder Canberra’s entertainment scene as for-profit businesses depend on this revenue to pay musicians and rent venues; cultural clubs represent Canberra’s ethnic groups; clubs could stop providing live music or social spaces altogether due to funding shortages; therefore he encouraged government policy review for long-term changes that diversify gambling revenue sources into other sources.