“The decision by ClubsACT to at least postpone the trial of mandatory pre-commitment is disappointing but hardly surprising.
“This is just further evidence that the poker machine industry doesn’t give a toss about problem gambling and problem gamblers. If they did the trial would be underway by now or not far off.
“By their logic no government policy or initiative could ever be progressed if it went beyond the next election.
“The good news in all this is that precedent of Commonwealth intervention in poker machine regulation has already been set and the roll out of mandatory pre-commitment capable machines is already enshrined in law.
“So regardless of the nonsense by the pokies industry and the disinterest by the opposition in a trial the reforms are still going ahead.”
• Earlier this week on Tasmanian Times, Stephen Menadue: Destroy the better mousetrap
