Inquiry into pre-commitments scheme
Information about the Inquiry
On 30 September 2010 the Senate referred the following matter to the Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform for inquiry and report.
The committee is initially focusing its inquiry on the design and implementation of a best practice full pre-commitments scheme that is uniform across all States and Territories and machines - consistent with the recommendations and findings of the Productivity Commission.
Typically, pre-commitment systems involve a facility on Electronic Gaming Machines (Poker Machines) that allows players to pre-set limits on their expenditure or playing time. These limits can be non-binding or binding. A full pre-commitment system would allow binding limits to be set by the player which the player cannot increase. Although default limits for 'safe' modes of play that apply to all players can be set, full pre-commitment technologies require player identification in order to be binding.
The Productivity Commissions' Report into Gambling which can be found at the following website:
http://www.pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/gambling-2009/report concluded that pre-commitment 'is a strong, practicable and ultimately cost-effective option for harm minimisation'. It recommended a phased implementation of full pre-commitment systems on all machines in all jurisdictions by 2016. As a precursor to the full pre-commitment system, it is proposed that a partial (non-binding) pre-commitment system be adopted by 2013. This would allow for the development of standards and player acceptance. Following trials, a full pre-commitment system would be in place by 2016 (with an exemption for smaller venues until 2018). The Commission noted there was no consensus on the best pre-commitment technology so declined to nominate any one particular type of pre-commitment system.
The committee will be providing advice to the government on the pre-commitment scheme early in 2011. Accordingly, submissions should be provided to the committee no later than 31 January 2011. Public hearings are likely to be held in early February 2011 with a report to be tabled in both houses of the Australian Parliament thereafter.
Submissions should be received by 31 January 2011.
The Committee is seeking written submissions from interested individuals and organisations preferably in electronic form submitted online or sent by email to gamblingreform@aph.gov.au as an attached Adobe PDF or MS Word format document. The email must include full postal address and contact details.
Alternatively, written submissions may be sent to:
Senior Clerk's Office
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia
Notes to help you prepare your submission are available from the website at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/wit_sub/index.htm. Alternatively, the Committee Secretariat will be able to help you with your inquiries and can be contacted on telephone +61 2 6277 3113 or facsimile +61 2 6277 5809 or by email to gamblingreform@aph.gov.au.
Inquiries from hearing and speech impaired people should be directed to Parliament House TTY number 02 6277 7799. Adobe also provides tools at http://access.adobe.com/ for the blind and visually impaired to access PDF documents. If you require any special arrangements to enable you to participate in the Committee's inquiry, please contact the Committee Secretariat.
Once the Committee accepts your submission, it becomes a confidential Committee document and is protected by Parliamentary Privilege. You must not release your submission without the Committee's permission. If you do, it will not be protected by Parliamentary Privilege. At some stage during the inquiry, the Committee normally makes submissions public and places them on its website. Please indicate if you want your submission to be kept confidential.
For further information, contact: Senior Clerk's Office
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia