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Australia, Bermuda consider overhaul of gambling laws
Law-makers in Australia and Bermuda are pondering their gaming policies in exercises which could lead to new regulatory approaches in both countries.
In Australia, the government’s Productivity Commission is seeking public comment on a draft report which urges joined-up policy on problem gambling.
Among the measures it suggest are that bets on gaming machines should be limited to one Australian dollar ($0.95) per button push, that gaming rooms should close regularly for longer periods, and that relocation of ATMs should be considered.
“The significant social costs associated with problem gambling mean that even policy measures with modest efficacy will often be worthwhile,” says the draft report, adding that while some of the actions taken by state and territory governments to tackle harm caused by gambling will have been useful, others “would have had little effect, and some have imposed unnecessary burdens on the industry”.
Around 15 percent of Australians bet regularly on games other than Lotto and scratch-cards, and about ten percent of that number are considered problem gamblers.
Comments will be received until 18 December and an amended report will then be sent to the Australian government by 26 February.
In Bermuda, meanwhile, members of parliament are to consider a discussion paper on gaming. Although bingo and sports betting take place on the British island territory, there are no casinos and a recent opinion survey found that just 34 percent of the public were in favour of more liberal gaming regulation - while 47 percent were opposed.
However, Innovation Group was retained last year to conduct a study on introducing casinos and a national lottery to Bermuda.
Ewart Brown, the territory’s premier, has said: “We have listened to the developers who are investing heavily into Bermuda by building new hotels and likewise to those existing hoteliers who are attempting to refresh and renew their hotel product. There is broad support for some form of gaming in Bermuda from their perspective but that is not enough to cause the Government to implement it.”
