Tasmanian Treasurer Eric Abetz has defended the Government’s proposed poker machine reforms, telling a parliamentary inquiry that their effectiveness should be assessed against existing arrangements.
Appearing before an upper house committee on Friday, Abetz said operational complexity and costs would have delayed the previously proposed mandatory pre-commitment card.
The Government has instead proposed measures including ticket-in, ticket-out technology, facial recognition to identify self-excluded players and limits on ATM withdrawals. It says the card remains deferred pending a national approach led by other states and territories.
Abetz argued that the replacement package would improve harm minimisation, while acknowledging that some stakeholders wanted stronger measures.
His appearance followed evidence from gambling reform and lived-experience advocates who questioned whether the proposals would meaningfully reduce harm.
Alliance for Gambling Reform representative Mark Kempster urged the Government to reinstate the card, criticising its decision to wait for other jurisdictions. Anglicare Tasmania CEO Chris Jones said the combined impact of the replacement measures would be minimal.
Abetz rejected suggestions that the package had been developed at the hospitality industry’s direction. He confirmed consultation with Hospitality Tasmania, saying the Government sought to balance harm reduction with avoiding disruption that could threaten business viability.
Questions also focused on the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission, which was not consulted before the replacement policies went to Cabinet and has expressed concerns about their potential impact.
Abetz said excluding the commission had not been deliberate and accepted that more consultation could have occurred.
The hearing forms part of parliamentary scrutiny of the evidence and consultation underpinning the policy change, with the Government and critics offering contrasting assessments of the package’s likely effects.
The hearing follows September testimony from Liquor and Gaming Commission chair Jenny Cranston, who warned that the replacement measures could collectively increase harm.
The inquiry, established in August, is examining the policy reversal and its supporting evidence.
The deferred pre-commitment card proposal included default loss limits of AU$100 a day, AU$500 a month and AU$5,000 a year
