Page 1764 - Week 05 - Thursday, 10 May 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
casino and the casino precinct and make a recommendation to me about the conversion of the restricted authorisations.
The bill also provides that the conversion of authorisations cannot be approved unless the planning and land authority has certified that the casino has completed the prescribed stage of the redevelopment of the casino and the casino precinct.
A casino advisory panel will also be established when required to consider whether a change in the ownership or leasing of the casino or the grant or transfer of the casino licence is in the public interest. The panel will be well placed to make this recommendation as it will be constituted by people with significant experience in relevant areas such as governance, law, integrity and probity assessments, finance, risk, urban design and property development.
The panel’s oversight will be in addition to the consideration and advice of the Gambling and Racing Commission, which will continue to ensure rigorous oversight is given to the operation of the casino and the gaming undertaken there. Before any gaming machines may be operated in the casino, the commission must be satisfied about the gaming area, gaming rules and control procedures and that sufficient harm minimisation measures are in place. The findings of the panel will be made public by the minister and will be tabled in the Legislative Assembly to deliver an increased level of transparency and independence in relation to the regulation of casino gaming in the ACT.
The bill also provides the requirement for matters to be addressed by, and information that must be given in, a social impact assessment when an application for an authorisation certificate is considered by government. The information to be provided includes the details of the proposed redevelopment of the casino and its precinct.
The Casino (Electronic Gaming) Act limits the maximum possible number of casino gaming machines to 200, and the number of FATG terminals to 60. As I have previously advised the Assembly, the casino licensee will have to undertake a social impact assessment to determine the number of gaming machines and FATG terminals allowed in the casino up to these maximum limits. The social impact assessment will need to be made available for public consultation for eight weeks before the commission determines the number of gaming machines and FATG terminals on the casino’s authorisation certificates.
Last year when the government announced the requirements for allowing gaming machines in the casino we introduced a suite of harm minimisation measures for their operation. These measures included: casino gaming machines and FATG terminals must be able to be connected to a centralised monitoring system; the maximum bet for casino gaming machines is limited to $2 or a lower amount set by regulation; and casino gaming machines require mandatory pre-commitment to a net loss limit, which is the amount a player is prepared to lose in a given playing session, with players also being able to set a time limit.
To maintain the intent of the harm minimisation measures in the Casino (Electronic Gaming) Act, this bill provides that any gaming machines operated within 200 metres
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video