Reduce the negative impacts of poker machines and promote responsible gambling.

Reason supports:

  • removing all EGMs by 2026 via a buy-back scheme to significantly reduce harm and social costs
  • reversing the Gambling Regulation Amendment (Gaming Machine Arrangements) Act 2017 that provides a 20-year entitlement for clubs and hotels from 2022
  • maintaining harm reduction measures post-COVID and throughout the EGM removal process including but not limited to:
    • no EGMs allowed in public areas
    • removal of signage directing people to EGM locations
    • minimise the comfort of EGM environments to discourage engagement
    • no promotions to encourage EGM spending such as free alcohol
    • clear notices on every EGM showing how much money has been lost on each EGM
    • reduce maximum EGM bet per spin from $5 to $1
    • daily maximum EFTPOS withdrawal limit of $100
    • reduce the maximum daily trading hours of EGM venues
    • reduce the density of EGMs per electorate
    • apply EGM caps on regions that currently have no caps (ie: Melbourne CBD, Docklands, Southbank)
  • incentives to buy-back EGMs offset by a reduction in the social costs of gambling borne by the government plus diversion of EGM revenue to the government from other expenditures; long-term planning to decouple the Victorian government from EGM revenue with a focus on sporting clubs.
  • penalties scaled using percentages relative to the size of a venue and the number of EGMs it has.  
  • the lobbying activities of pokies providers and their influence on government transparent.
  • pre-commitment systems, which enable EGM players to decide how much time and/or money they want to spend gambling on EGMs, are suggested as a way for players to take control of their gambling.