Ferguson hits back at THA on pokies card reform plan

The former Treasurer has lifted the lid on the pokie reform divide, exposing his views on claims made by the THA that a card scheme would harm businesses. Here’s what he says.

Michael Ferguson slams the THA’s opposition to card-based pokie reform.

Former Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson says he will fight attempts to water down his nation-leading poker machine reforms, vowing never to appease those “profiting from misery”.

The Liberal member for Bass says he remains staunchly in favour of a plan for mandatory card-based play with preset loss limits — potentially putting him at odds with the Premier who has called for further research into the scheme.

Minister Michael Ferguson currently Premier in relation to TT-Line Spirits inquiry. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr Ferguson says every MP is under pressure and he has no intention of buckling.

Advocates fear the government appears to have shifted its support from a card-based play plan to industry-backed facial recognition technology to identify problem gamblers who have asked to be excluded from venues.

Mr Rockliff said on Monday the government was still committed to the card, but wanted “all the available information” and “a more measured approach” that took into account the potential cost implications and impact on business.

The government revealed two weeks ago that it had engaged Deloitte Access Economics to analyse of the social and economic impact of the card proposal.

Mr Ferguson revealed that prior gambling law reforms have boosted revenue in pokies venues by 40 to 60 per cent.

Those figures undermine claims some operators could go under if the card plan became a reality.

In a Talking Point article in today’s Mercury, Mr Ferguson has hit back at claims by Tasmanian Hospitality Association chief Steve Old that he misled the industry.

“I’ve been restrained while Treasurer from being frank in my assessment of Mr Old’s various claims over the last two years,” he said.

“Now, I am not prepared to sit idly by and allow the genuine public interest to be defeated just to appease those venues who are massively profiting from the misery of Tasmanian families.

“With the THA trying to stop our promised pokies reforms, the integrity and backbone of every MP is under pressure.

“I for one will not be buckling nor do I feel the need to.”

THA CEO Steve Old. Picture: Chris Kidd

The state government pledged the card scheme in 2022, but it was recently delayed for 18 months due to complexity of the rollout.

Mr Ferguson said he believed families, businesses and even lives would be saved his reforms and venues would continue to make money.

“As Treasurer, I asked for the profit results of licenced venues as a result of the new gaming laws that I introduced from July last year, compared to prior. 

“In just one month (December 2023), the vast majority of pubs were up by between 40 and 60 per cent.

“The highest additional retained revenue was an additional $73,000 in one month alone, in just one venue.

“With so much extra profit being made right now, thanks to Liberal reforms, there is room for genuine harm reduction if we care for the public interest.”

Labor leader Dean Winter. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Labor leader Dean Winter said Labor backed further research into the impact of a pokies gambling card.

“We’ve said since day dot that we wouldn’t stand in the way of the reform. That’s been our position the whole way through,” he said,

“I’ve been the one asking questions about how it would be rolled out, what the cost would be, who’s going to pay for it, what the impact would be on the budget.

“We haven’t changed our position since 2021 in fact, we’re the only party that hasn’t changed our position since 2021 but I still have serious questions about the implementation of this.”

He said facial recognition technology was a good policy, which was working well in South Australia.

TALKING POINT: Michael Ferguson’s words in full

Tasmania is at a political and moral crossroads. With the THA trying to stop our promised pokies reforms, the integrity and backbone of every MP is under pressure. I for one will not be buckling nor do I feel the need to.

The parliament was totally unified in 2021 when I led the Future Gaming Markets legislation through parliament, which included the first publicly debated (and agreed) commitment to precommitment and cashless play in Australia. Labor’s Dean Winter as the shadow spokesperson was a strong supporter of these specific reforms, and even challenged us to lock the commission’s review into the legislation.

I was more than happy to facilitate that! However, I’ve noticed he’s gone very quiet on this subject since he became Labor leader. Why?

Everything that has been done by the government and the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission (TLGC) since that time has been consistent with that vote of the parliament, and has included public consultation on at least three occasions.

How Tasmanian Hospitality Association (THA) chief Steve Old can dare try to accuse the government (and myself in particular) of being misleading and of zero consultation is one for him alone to explain.

Treasurer Michael Ferguson delivers the 2024 Tasmanian State Budget. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

After all, Mr Old personally signed the THA submission to the first process run by the TLGC.

With regard to time frames and the complexity of establishing the new system, we were always honest.

To be clear, the Ministerial Direction instructs the commission to implement the system “as soon as practicable” and included a specific instruction to consult further with industry.

To be clear, Mr Old is trying hard to discredit essential and overdue reforms to the poker machine industry because he claims it would affect the viability of venues. These are reforms that we promised to implement, including at the election this year when the people of Tasmania had their say.

These reforms will put real power back into the hands of players, deciding in advance how much money they want to be able to lose, before they start losing.

This is a power shift from the software that is programmed to influence the player to think they are winning when they are actually losing.

I believe that once mandatory precommitment is introduced in Tasmania, consistent with the government’s Ministerial Direction of September 2022, every other state will follow – because it’s pro-freedom to play, pro-family and pro-business.

POKER machines generic

I believe families, sports clubs, businesses, employers and even lives will be saved as a result of people having reasonable loss limits.

The only players who might be inconvenienced are perhaps the problem gamblers who will find the machine stops working when the loss limit is reached. Anyone who truly wants to lose more than $5000 will be able to do that, by simply applying for a higher limit and showing capacity.

Where did I get this idea from? I didn’t just make it up. Federal Group have had this system in place for their Premium Player Program for more than two years. It works. Why is industry fighting the same idea for lower income people?

I’ve been restrained while Treasurer from being frank in my assessment of Mr Old’s various claims over the past two years.

Now, I am not prepared to sit idly by and allow the genuine public interest to be defeated just to appease those venues who are massively profiting from the misery of Tasmanian families.

Finally, as to claims that venues would be unviable. That is a very surprising claim to make.

As Treasurer, I asked for the profit results of licenced venues as a result of the new gaming laws that I introduced from July last year, compared to prior.

In just one month (December 2023), the vast majority of pubs were up by between 40 and 60 per cent.

The highest additional retained revenue was an additional $73,000 in one month alone, in just one venue.

With so much extra profit being made right now, thanks to Liberal reforms, there is room for genuine harm reduction if we care for the public interest.

We should be alert to sectional interests trying to undermine Tasmania’s nation-leading approach, informed by facts, progressing with plenty of consultation, unanimously supported in parliament. The public interest demands it of us all.

Originally published as Ferguson hits back at THA on pokies card reform plan