SA pokie venues banned from allowing $1000 withdrawls by gamblers

Pokie venues have been banned from allowing gamblers to withdraw up to $1000 a day – but some have applied for an exemption.

Pokie venues will lose the right to allow gamblers to withdraw up to $1000 a day to feed into the machines.

Tough new daily withdrawal limits were introduced in December, designed to stop gamblers’ easy access to cash and “chasing their losses”.

Eight of the 16 venues that had an exemption from those limits did not apply for an extension, and will have their rights revoked.

A spokesman for the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner said a further eight venues’ exemptions are under review and two new applications for exemption were being considered.

Under the changes, gamblers can now withdraw a maximum of $250 a day via EFTPOS at a poker machine venue. Before the December changes, EFTPOS withdrawals were capped at $200, but five withdrawals could be made a day.

Many poker machine venues also have ATMs, to ensure gamblers do not run out of cash. The withdrawal on any one debit or credit card was not allowed to exceed $250 over a 24-hour period. That restriction remains.

Former state coroner Mark Johns has estimated one in 10 suicides in our state are linked to gambling addiction.

Uniting Communities spokesman Mark Henley said the daily EFTPOS withdrawal cuts were encouraging.

“We were, for 20 years, trying to limit the ability of gamblers to chase their losses with more and more money, because research showed again and again it is one of the classic signs of addiction,” Mr Henley said.

“It is all about harm minimisation, and the issue with pokies is that in any other industry where there is a transaction you know what you are spending.

“The limits are far more reasonable and realistic.”

Some owners of poker machines in regional parts of the state, where it was harder for gamblers to access cash, were granted an exemption from the daily withdrawal limits. In those cases, withdrawal limits of between $350 and $1000 per day, per card were granted.

Meanwhile, Mr Henley has called on the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner to report to the state’s welfare sector on the progress of facial-recognition technology to limit addiction in pokie venues.

He said the reform, to alert venue staff when a barred patron was detected entering a gaming room, required the installation of expensive technology, and delays in its rollout were expected.

“We are struggling to find out in the welfare sector how well progressed the facial recognition installation is because that will have a big impact, especially now that venues are becoming more active following COVID-19 shut-downs,” Mr Henley said.