The new poker machine technology has been prohibited
in Victoria. It is treated as abhorrent thing. Actually, it is the fact that headphones
are used by gamblers who want to block out the noise from background. From the
viewpoint of the Victorian Government, audio isolation technology or plug-in
headphones are not safe. They can even destroy efforts and let the individuals
gamble responsibly.
Now, an interim twelve-month ban on the
technology is being expanded for ten years by the Government. It is last year
when the introduction of the ban started in New South Wales. In the opinion of Gaming
Minister Michael O'Brien in the state, problem gamblers will get more harm from
the irresponsible headphone technology. About thirty venues have been thought
to get the machines installed. What’s worse, the real risk has been witnessed
for sure.
The issue is really severe and the Government
will never provide support for this. They believe it was very abhorrent idea. Mr
O'Brien also stated that the commonsense test cannot be passed with that one. The
manufacturers of gaming should not promote a technology which isolates their
customers. It is quite irresponsible. They cannot accept this at all. The ban
should be practiced more widely in Australia.
The Governments in the other places have
not been interested in protecting its people as the Victorian Government has in
a clear way. This is a disappointing fact. The dangerous and risky technologies
should be avoided even if the headphone ban has been called as discriminatory
by group representing the poker machine industry. It will be argued continuously
about whether using the headphones will bring harm to players or not.
