Western Australia has always been proud of its resistance to the introduction of pokies. For many years, the pubs and clubs located in Sandgroper were boasting about being free of the flashing lights and head-turning jackpots that were often the reason for the increasing gambling issues in other Australian states.
Despite WA being proud of its strong opposition to pokies, recently, there have been doubts about the state’s pokies-free policy. The Perth Casino Royal Commission began questioning whether there is a significant difference between typical pokies and the electronic gaming machines (EGMs) offered at Crown Perth.
Crown Perth Hosts About 2,500 EGMs, Many Believe They Are Just as Harmful
While pokies are banned in WA, there are certain doubts that arose due to the EGMs that are widely available at Crown Perth. The Perth Casino Royal Commission is not so sure about any significant difference between pokies and EGMs. What is more, it is difficult to determine whether the machines in the Perth casino are less harmful than pokies.
According to some experts, the gaming machines that can be found at Crown Perth can be just as addictive as pokies. While the ban on pokies in WA was introduced in 1985 to prevent gambling-related harms, the Royal Commission is questioning whether Crown Perth’s EGMs are not just as harmful.
While Crown Perth is the only gambling facility in WA offering EGMs, their number is significant enough to raise some questions. While these types of gaming machines were about 200 in 1985, nowadays, that number has reached around 2,500.
According to financial reports, the money WA gamblers have spent on EGMs this year amounted to $306 million. Compared to the estimations of last year, this number indicates a surge of almost 50%.
All of the machines that are offered by Crown must first receive the Gaming and Wagering Commission’s (GWC) approval. The watchdog’s requirements that must be met include the machine having no display showing spinning wheels, EGMs including some sort of player interaction, and games taking at least three seconds for every round.
The rest of the EGM requirements include the use of symbols that cannot be seen on machines offered in other states, offering an RTP of at least 90%, and launching every game with a push of a button.
Even Commission Members Cannot Tell Differences Between Pokies and EGMs
While pokies are banned by law, the same law finds it difficult to provide a set definition of a pokie machine. This week, the royal commission came to the conclusion that both former and present members of the GWC are having some troubles differentiating pokies from EGMs.
Members of the Commission admit that the two types of machines have a similar speed of play. While pokies have balls dropping down, EGMs are concentrating more on the visual aspect, with balls having a slower drop-down. The lack of clear differentiation between the two types of gaming machines has been evident as even James Sullivan, Crown Perth’s product manager, cannot tell the difference between pokies and EGMs.
The Commission admitted it could have done a better job at regulating EGMs and preventing gambling-related harm. One example of past mistakes was the GWC’s approval of Crown Perth’s request to increase the speed of EGMs in 2019. The regulatory body failed to assess the impact of such modification on harm prevention and addiction among players. Giving that some experts put pokies and EGMs under the same category of addictiveness, it will be interesting to see if WA will introduce new regulations on EGMs.
- Author
Daniel Williams
