Australia’s ACT Gambling and Racing Commission is touting their focus on education for a sharp reduction in identified breaches of gambling laws in the country.
The commission said only 13 breaches were identified in a period covering 2017 to 2018, down about 88 percent from a similar period in 2014 to 2015. The number of inspections conducted by the commission has remained steady, however, at about 250.
The commission pointed to an increased focus on engagement and education activities launched in 2017 saying it a “positive impact on the level of industry compliance, resulting in a reduction in the need to undertake enforcement action in the reporting period,” according to a press release.
“The approach of the commission is to engage and educate through the conduct of compliance programs and when responding to enquiries or complaints. This approach supports the goal to support licensees achieve voluntary a compliance,” the release said. “The ongoing decline in the number of breaches detected and the noticeable reduction in the use of formal enforcement powers is evidence of the benefit to the industry and the community of the engage and educate approach used by the commission.”
The commission ran 378 engagement activities and 130 education activities during 2017-18. In the same period, it handed out three enforcement actions, the release said.
The report comes as the ACT Council of Social Service and the Canberra Gambling Reform Alliance call for stronger gambling laws, in the wake of reports criticizing the commission’s system for regulating poker machines.
In a related matter on pokie machines, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, has reportedly signed a new four-year poker machine memorandum of understanding with Clubs NSW.
The report has led to widespread criticism of Berejiklian as the memorandum pledges to not increase gambling taxes should her government win the next state election in March.
According to the Guardian newspaper, other measures outlined in the memorandum include:
The level of mandatory contributions from clubs to the community to remain the same although they will able to ramp up support to drought-stricken communities including buying water and funding counseling.
Families will have the ability to ask gaming venues to ban pokies addicts.
The maximum amount of money loaded on a pokies machine will be cut from $7,500 to $5,000. But the amount remains the highest in the country.
Extra training for staff to identify problem gamblers.
Establishment of a regional club trainee employment program.
