A proposal to withdraw support for the state government’s pokies gambling card trial is set to be considered by Greater Dandenong councillors.
It comes after the council expressed surprise and disappointment that the YourPlay card trial for Dandenong, Monash and Ballarat would not require mandatory pre-commitment of loss limits by gamblers.
A motion set to be tabled by councillor Rhonda Garad on 25 August also seeks for the council to stop promoting and providing non-statutory data to the trial.
And to work with Alliance for Gambling tor push for the “reinstatement” of mandatory pre-commitment on the trial.
The trial is a mandatory account-based carded play but it will be optional for gamblers to set set loss limits, according to a government media release on 23 July.
“Removing the mandatory component undermines the trial’s harm-minimisation purpose and offers no meaningful new protection, making it inconsistent with Council’s policy and community expectations,” Cr Garad wrote in support of her motion.
The switch to a voluntary loss limit on the YourPlay card play sent shockwaves across anti-gambling advocates.
Chief advocate at the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Tim Costello has told Star Journal they are chasing up answers from the Minister for Casino, Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
“We’re worried that they haven’t published the trial parameters and how they are testing it.
“We worried it could end up like the NSW trial-total flop because they allowed people to gamble and not have to use the card.
“We have lots of questions, trying to sort out what’s going on with this trial.”
The exclusion of mandatory pre-commitment information was communicated to councillors at a Councillors Briefing Session (CBS) meeting on Monday 4 August.
Greater Dandenong Council deputy mayor Sophie Tan previously told Star Journal they have drafted a letter to the Minister for Casino, Gambling and Liquor Regulation expressing their disappointment that pre-set loss limits are optional.
