Video Poker Battle in Australia

There's a fight happening in Australia and no it's not boxing.  The fight is video poker machines, where their allowed to be located, imposed limits and some want them banned completely.  One such plan is to ban video poker machines from clubs and some are opposed to the idea saying that there isn't enough problem gamblers in Australia for it to work.

Forty percent of all the money that is put into video poker machines comes from problem gamblers.  Currently there are around 300,000 people in Australia that have a gambling problem. So a group called Family First is aiming to make big changes in video poker's future.

They want to put a ban on video poker machines so that they would only be allowed in casinos and racetracks.  This would take out video poker in bars, clubs and pubs all over Australia.   They say that this move could cut the problem gambling figures in half.

Hotels are venemently fighting that plan and told a Senate Committee that problem gamblers are the minority and that there would be a loss of 50,000 jobs if the machines were banned from clubs.  There could also be a restriction on ATM withdrawals in the near future if the bill passes.

David Bell from the Australian Bankers' Association that the proposed restriction on ATM withdrawals is a bad idea as it will hurt more then just problem gamblers.  He reportedly told LiveNews, “If you impose a one hundred dollar a day limit new technology is going to have to be put into place, that doesn’t come cheap. That could cost hundreds of millions of dollars right across the industry and that cost will have to be covered by banks and, ultimately, their customers.”