The State Government has labelled a number of Hunter suburbs 'red zones' for gambling, introducing a cap on poker machines in the listed areas.
This will mean no new gaming machines will be allowed in areas considered to be high-risk pubs and clubs at Belmont South, Hexham, Mayfield, Cessnock, Kurri Kurri, Raymond Terrace and Maitland.
The cap will be complemented with other measures including a tenfold increase in fines for gambling operators who offer illegal inducements, increased community contributions to a responsible gambling fund to be spent locally and a lease scheme to help smaller pubs and clubs become free of gaming machines.
Racing Minister, Paul Toole, says the crackdown is an effort to look after the community.
"...what we've done by capping is making sure those areas that have been identified can get no additional gaming machines and they can only ever go down and that's about protecting the community and making sure they are being looked after."
Mr Toole responded to concern for hunter business with confidence.
"Small clubs and pubs have now been given an opportunity to look at changing their business and we know while speaking to a number of businesses they want to go pokie free, so it's actually put incentives to be able to assist and help them be able to do that in their community."
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| Source: Wikipedia |
