News

Aussie pubs applying for exemption from ATM withdrawal cap

February 18, 2014

In some quarters it might be a tough sell proving an "unreasonable inconvenience to the community," but that's not discouraging owners of Australian clubs and pubs from seeking an exemption to the country's new limit of A$250 ($225) on withdrawals from ATMs in venues that also host gambling machines.

According to a report by The Guardian, Australia's national gambling regulator has received more than 3,200 requests for exemptions from the withdrawal cap, which went into effect on Feb. 1. The applications are under consideration by the gambling regulator's office.

The nation's Productivity Commission initially recommended limits in a 2010 report, estimating that 41 percent of revenues from gambling machines come from problem gamblers.

Australia's current coalition government has vowed to overturn the limits, which it calls a "red tape burden."