TENTERFIELD Liquor Industry Accord Group (LIAG) chairman and Bowling Club general manager Michael Jones says his club and others in the area may be forced to close if technology aimed at helping problem gamblers is brought in by the Federal Government.
Mr Jones said 37 of the 45 clubs in the New England region met in Armidale to discuss concerns over the costs of installing the mandatory pre-commitment technology on poker machines.
The local clubs representatives were told that the cost of installing the technology to poker machines would be more than $25 million across the New England region.
The meeting also heard the forecast 40 per cent reduction in gaming revenue would reduce local clubs’ annual income by $24 million.
Mr Jones said that even at 20 or 30 per cent reduction, many local clubs would still be forced to close their doors.
He said bowlers would have to fork out full green fee costs, and the Tenterfield Bowling Club would be unable to fund local sporting groups, which they do every year.
“It’s not just the $5,000 per machine, and we have 33 machines,” Mr Jones said.
“It’s that 22 of those machines would not comply with the technology, so instead of $5,000 its $26,000 or $27,000.”
Mr Jones said it wasn’t just about the money, but the proposed laws would have an impact in the community.
“It’s going to cost a lot of jobs here, and it’s the community that will suffer,” he said.
ClubsAustralia said that as well as the cost to the industry and communities there was no guarantee the technology would work.
Norway is the only country in the world to install mandatory pre-commitment technology on poker machines.
ClubsAustralia said research into the technology had shown problem gambling had increased in Norway, with gamblers switching from poker machines to the internet.
ClubsNSW chairman Peter Newell said clubs in the New England region did not have $26 million for “ineffective” technology.
“A better solution would be a voluntary system that doesn’t require a network linking machines and venues,” he said.
In a letter to the editor in the Tenterfield Star last week, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin said the federal government was committed to introducing the gambling reforms.
“One in six people who play the pokies regularly has a serious addiction,” Ms Macklin said.
Ms Macklin said the pre-commitment system would allow people to set limits on how much they wanted to spend on poker machines.
“We also understand the challenges faced by smaller venues, particularly those in rural communities,” she said.
“That’s why we have made it clear we support special consideration for smaller venues on pre-commitement, consistent with the Productivity Commission’s recommendations.”
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