News

Aussie gaming clubs sidestep ATM limits with eftpos cash-outs

May 12, 2017

Macau isn't the only place with a gambling problem. Authorities in the Australian capital of Canberra are also wrestling with issues at "pokies," that is, gambling clubs with banks of poker machines.

According to a report in The Canberra Times, clubs are simply installing eftpos cash-out machines as a means to get around a 2014 regulation that imposed a limit of AU$250 ($185) for cash withdrawals at an on-premises ATMs.

Almost immediately after that regulation took effect, the Australian Capital Territory Gambling and Racing Commission began to receive reports from watchdog groups complaining about the cash-out machines.

For fear of government intervention, clubs pledged to make sure that eftpos stations were monitored by staff on the lookout for problem gamblers.

Still, the problem persists, the report said. One woman reported that, under the watchful eye of employees, she used a pokie eftpos to withdraw thousands of dollars nightly to feed her gambling habit, ultimately feeding $230,000 into the machines.

According to the Times, "Under pressure, clubs are offering a voluntary $250 limit on cash out per transaction but gamblers would still be able to make multiple transactions."