JOY Burch says the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission is recommending the introduction of Ticket-In Ticket-Out gaming.
Ticket-In Ticket-Out enables gaming credits to be transferred from one machine to another using a ticket, negating the need for cash payouts.
The Commission has also advised that gaming machine revenue has continued to steadily decline since September.
“Club patrons in the ACT have been able to receive their payouts from machines in ticket form through Ticket-Out since 2004,” Joy said.
“Since late last year, following a decision by the Gambling and Racing Commission, patrons have been able to use Ticket-In to transfer their credits to another machine or to return to the same machine after a break.
“In making this decision, the Commission took into account the arguments presented by the club industry, as well as its own investigations including any harm minimisation concerns. It also liaised with the NSW and Queensland regulatory bodies where this technology was already in use.
“The use of Ticket-In is subject to a number of conditions, including a maximum limit of $800 per ticket, responsible gambling messages on the tickets, and a review of its impact once the technology has been in place for 12 months.
“The Commission has been monitoring the use of Ticket-In Ticket-Out and I am advised that gaming machine revenues are continuing recent trends of decline indicating that patrons are not spending more than previously. In particular, total gross gaming revenue in November and December 2014 was $1.8 million less than at the same time in 2013.
“The introduction of Ticket-In Ticket-Out required a number of amendments to the Gaming Machine Regulation 2004. The Regulation had not been reviewed for 10 years and needed updating to incorporate current technology and harm minimisation practices.
“As part of this review, the Commission also recommended cutting more red tape for the industry by increasing the prescribed amounts for reporting of contractual arrangements and for reporting remuneration.
“Under Section 54 of the Gaming Machine Act 2004, clubs are required to include certain information in their annual report for a financial year, including contractual arrangements or consultancies entered into during the year for more than $49,999 and any remuneration given to a person valued at or greater than $100,000.
“These are important provisions which provide transparency to club members and help clubs avoid conflicted or improper financial dealings.
“However, the amounts involved had not been adjusted since their introduction in 2004 and the Commission decided it would be reasonable to increase the limits to $99,999 for contractual arrangements and $150,000 for remuneration.
“Increasing the limits will reduce the time and effort spent by clubs on compiling their annual reports.”
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