Problem gamblers to ban themselves online

8 Feb 2012, 8:53 am   -   Source: AAP
Share This

Gamblers who don't trust themselves to know when to stop can now go online to ban themselves from local clubs across NSW.

Problem gamblers will now be able to go online to ban themselves from their local clubs in NSW.

The new technology is being launched by ClubsNSW on Wednesday and is the first of its kind in Australia.

Over the next 12 months, the multi-venue self-exclusion system will be expanded across the state.

"For some people, the time, effort and emotional investment needed to make multiple visits to a club is overwhelming or just too difficult to go through with," said ClubsNSW CEO Anthony Ball.

"This scheme eliminates those barriers."

Under the scheme, gamblers can complete a legally binding self-exclusion document in the presence of their own personal counsellor, or with a trained facilitator at their local club.

Previously, they had to visit each club individually to fill out paper work that would take months to process.

The move follows a six month trial of the online system in 51 clubs in Broken Hill and the Central Coast.

"During the six month trial, 136 problem gamblers chose to ban themselves from a combined 569 clubs," Mr Ball said in a statement.

"Under the previous system, it could have taken weeks or even months for a problem gambler to visit each of those clubs and inform the staff they wanted to be banned from gambling."

In late January, Prime Minister Julia Gillard reneged on her deal with anti-pokies MP Andrew Wilkie to tackle problem gambling by rolling out mandatory pre-commitment technology by 2014.

The technology requires people to set limits on the amount of money they are willing to lose on high-betting machines, which can chew through an average $1200 an hour.

Clubs have campaigned heavily against the reforms and consistently argued in favour of extra counselling services.

Mr Ball said self-exclusion, in combination with counselling, was the best way of helping problem gamblers beat their addiction.

Self-exclusion was first introduced in 2000, with an estimated 3000 people opting to ban themselves from a club or hotel each year.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube