CLUBSACT  has welcomed the support of the Salvation Army about the introduction of a voluntary pre-commitment scheme.

The Salvation Army said in a statement today that it is “supportive of the introduction of voluntary pre-commitment technology on all poker machines. This will allow gamblers the opportunity to thoughtfully consider their options before commencing.

“We also support a trial of mandatory pre-commitment technology in a designated jurisdiction, as recommended by the Productivity Commission Report 2010.

“However, the Salvation Army believes that, regardless of the findings of a trial, a mandatory pre-commitment system on its own will not effectively respond to the complex issues that underpin problem gambling”.

ClubsACT chief executive Jeff House said the Salvo’s support represented a sound policy position and reinforced the message that the mandatory pre-commitment plan, being pushed by the Federal Government under pressure from the Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie, was an expensive, untested and ultimately ineffective anti-problem gambling measure.

“The Salvation Army’s position is yet another nail in the coffin of Andrew Wilkie’s ill-conceived policy and confirms that his all-or-nothing, my-way-or-the-highway approach will do very little to assist problem gamblers.”