Canberra may be the capital of Australia but gaming options in its capital city are limited. While there are table games, poker room and TAB facilities, Canberra does not host casinos or clubs that feature pokies (also known as slot machines). This decision was made by Casino Canberra who wanted to focus more heavily on serious table-based games rather than slots machines – though this has led to high rollers such as Chinese tourists being less inclined to come here than other locations.
The ACT Government is proposing to lift this prohibition and permit pokies at the newly renovated Casino Canberra. Under their plan, strict rules such as $1 spins (in line with Productivity Commission recommendations), mandatory pre-commitment systems and maximum machine authorisation caps of 200 will need to be observed by all participating operators(s). They’ll also need to connect all machines directly into a central system supporting gambling integrity data collection as well as harm minimisation measures will need to be put in place.
Shane Rattenbury of the Greens MLAs and frontbenchers has stated that for him to support this move, more needs to be done than this by the ACT government. As they hold the balance of power in Assembly, they are demanding strong measures against problem gambling in return for their votes. He considers these new regulations “a step in the right direction”, yet wants more money returned directly back to gamblers, higher stake limits, mandatory pre-commitment system as well as expanding gaming time from six hours to 24 hours while setting maximum withdrawal limits at $500.
AQUIS, the Hong-Kong based owner of Casino Canberra, recently stated it will only invest $330 million if pokies could be implemented into its operation. Unfortunately, however, the Australian Casino and Hotel Association warned there would be no way of producing pokies at Canberra without dramatically increasing production costs; due to low spin limits this makes production unfeasible at competitive prices for manufacturers of these devices.
Even without pokies, Casino Canberra provides visitors with plenty of entertainment. Players can take their pick from 39 tables dedicated to blackjack, baccarat, roulette and Mini-Baccarat for your gaming pleasure. There is also a poker room and regular head-to-head tournaments with different buy-in limits, and members of the Senator’s Club can gain rewards like accommodation, free play and personalized gifts. Canberra Poker offers information about upcoming events, such as their monthly Boomerang Bonus where you could potentially win $1,000 on just one $1 side bet! There are also plenty of promotions and bonuses for newcomers like welcome bonuses, freerolls, reload bonuses – so the website can help you find offers which meet your specific requirements – all accessible via desktop computers as well as mobile devices with secure banking facilities available online.